Why Man Creates

That's where I first saw Why Man Creates back in 1975. There was a segment with a traffic light and people crossing a busy street.

The light had four commands: "DON'T WALK", "WALK", "STOP",

and "JUMP", and they stopped in the middle of the street and did jumping jacks. The historical segments were funny. There was

one with monks chanting: "What is the shape of the world?" "Flat!" "What would you do if you go off the edge?" "Fall!" and then there was another one with a man who was so excited he couldn't contain himself. "Hey!" he shouts to his friend who's offscreen. "I invented the zero!" His friend's incredulous. "What?!'" he exclaims. The second man, defeated, says, "Nothing."

Most people know Saul Bass as this genius who created memorable title and credit sequences for major Hollywood pictures (also a number of important corporate logos) - but he also created this marvelous short (about 25 minutes) called "Why Man Creates".

I first saw this wonderful film in a post graduate class in the 1970s. It was a real eye opener and made me think about why we create the things we do - whatever they may be and how we sometimes have to suffer the negativity of others for our artistic efforts.

Saul Bass' vignettes and parables in this film have depth and meaning that grab and stay with you. My favorite is the one with ping pong balls, which I won't give away.

This film makes you think. If you ever get the chance, don't miss it. It could influence your life in a very positive way. It did mine. It is a film I will never forget.

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UPDATE: "Why Man Creates" is now available on VHS and DVD for direct sale through pyramidmedia.com for $49 plus S&H. Technical quality of film to video transfer is disappointing. However, although the film is dated in some aspects - it holds up very well in its premise and concept.

I saw Why Man Creates in grad school in 1969 and used it at the beginning of nearly every high school World History or Western Civ class I taught here in Alaska between 1970 and 1993. It is the most thought-provoking, engaging, stimulating film I've ever seen that can be used from about 5th grade to age 95. The other descriptions of sequences and 'mini-episodes' in IMDb are very accurate but do not replicate the experience of seeing it. Having seen it 150 or 200 times, to me it still is entertaining and I still notice new details in its fast paced blow by. Bass created a masterpiece. He died in 1996 but this is his generous legacy.

Should WMC be shown regularly on TV? Maybe, but I think it's best when viewers can discuss WMC together, rather than watching it alone in the dark. It ought to be put on DVD and marketed at a low price; it is timeless and could sell across generations. I'm curious how it might be regarded in other nations if it were seen abroad. Would Canadians, Australians or the British find it funny or provocative? How about English speakers in Nigeria or Kenya or India? Parts of it are culturally bound to European civilization, but other sections could be dubbed into any local language and enjoyed. Unequivocally, Why Man Creates is a MUST-SEE film!

11/20/17. I can see why this film won an Oscar and is a National Film Registry pick! Educational as well as entertaining at just the right length to keep you engaged and focused. Don't we wish all films were made this way? While it is very much a product of its time ('60s), it still has a message for any and every generation, what makes Man (Humankind) unique is its creativity. It is the stuff of Culture and what makes us who we are. Wished this was longer.

I first saw Why Man Creates in high school 1978. I also saw it in college - both times it was shown by a drama teacher/professor. When I started teaching in 1984 I got a copy from the service center and I also showed this film to my drama classes. With an average of 2 classes a year and 40 students, I have now shown this to over 700 students. I start my Theatre I class with a unit on creativity and the importance of failure to the creative process. And after seeing it over 40 times, I'm still finding new things to discuss! I have had several students come back to me after graduation asking where I got my copy, so I was thrilled to find in on the Internet. While it does appear dated in some ways, the message is loud and clear. I would hate to start the year without it!