''Pacific 231'' is a 1949

short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

directed by French film theorist

Jean Mitry Jean-René Pierre Goetgheluck Le Rouge Tillard des Acres de Presfontaines, whose pseudonym was Jean Mitry (; 7 November 1904 – 18 January 1988), was a French film theorist, critic and filmmaker, a co-founder of France's first film society, and, ...

Music

The film soundtrack uses the orchestral work of the same name, composed by

Arthur Honegger Arthur Honegger (; 10 March 1892 – 27 November 1955) was a Swiss composer who was born in France and lived a large part of his life in Paris. A member of Les Six, his best known work is probably ''Antigone'', composed between 1924 and 1927 t ...

Summary

''Pacific 231'' pays tribute to the steam locomotive, and includes close-up footage of driving wheels, running gear and railroad operations, mostly taken at speed, and cut/choreographed to the music.

Accolades

The film was awarded the Short Film Palme d'Or, the highest prize given for a short film at the

1949 Cannes Film Festival The 3rd Cannes Film Festival was held from 2 to 17 September 1949. The previous year, no festival had been held because of financial problems. Like in 1947, the entire jury for this festival was made up of French persons, with historian Georges ...

.Pacific 231 - 1949 Cannes Film Festival
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References

External links

''Pacific 231'' on Vimeo
*
Pacific 231 (1949)
' on

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{{cinéma pur 1949 films French short films Rail transport films Short Film Palme d'Or winners French black-and-white films