DbcultAccessing Vault...
A definitive 6.1/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Music Lesson remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have five minutes and a weird interest in how 1930s animation feels like a fever dream, sure. People who hate repetitive gags or characters that just bounce around for the sake of it will probably find this thing annoying. It is not exactly high art, but it is a fun little relic.
Ub Iwerks really knew how to make things squish. In The Music Lesson, the physics of the piano keys feel like they are made of half-melted cheese. Every time Flip hits a note, the whole instrument seems to sigh or groan in protest.
The pacing is just... rapid. There is no buildup. Flip is just there, and suddenly there is a piano, and then there is a catastrophe. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in That's It!, where the logic of the world is basically 'whatever makes the audience giggle for a second.'
There is this one moment where the piano keys start acting like teeth. It is oddly specific and slightly creepy. I wonder if the animators were just bored that day and decided to see how far they could stretch the geometry of a household object.
Also, the sound design is basically just a constant, aggressive thumping. It is the kind of short that you watch while doing dishes, or maybe when you just need to turn your brain off for a bit. It doesn't ask much of you, which is honestly a relief.
Compared to something more grounded like Politik och brott, this is pure nonsense. But sometimes, nonsense is the point. I found myself focusing on how the background characters just sort of exist to be victims of the chaos. They don't have backstories. They don't have goals. They are just there to get hit by a flying piano lid.
It’s not a masterpiece. But it’s not trying to be. It’s just Flip, being a menace. 🎹