Master Hands (1936)

Master Hands was selected for the 1999 National Film Registry of “artistically, culturally, and socially significant“ films. Molten metal flowing into a mold spells out the film’s title in heat and light. A full symphony orchestra plays a score adapted from Wagner’s Die WalkŸre. Negative and positive film sandwiched together (a rare effect in the 1930s) casts a surreal filter over workers filing into the factory. This is high drama, pretentious filmmaking and one of the most impressive records of mass prod