The Birth of the Robot

I really enjoyed watching Len Lye's "The Birth of the Robot." It had a whimsical quality that evoked feelings of innocence and childhood. I loved the beginning scene with father time cranking the wheel to put the universe in motion. It reminded me of a toy that I used to play with when i visited my grandmother's house, it was a globe and airplanes that orbited in opposite ways when you cranked it up. The next part of the film with the robot and the pyramids was really nice, I feel like it represented such a simplified easy version of the world that was pleasant to watch. The puppetry was very innovative for its time, and at the end when I found out that it was a comercial for Shell Oil, I was totally shocked. I think it was very effective in that it kept the viewer's attention and made them think it was just a cute story until the very end. When the advertising part did show, it wasn't obnoxious or overpowering, it was simple and straight forward.