The Magic Sun

The Magic Sun, a unique experimental short film from 1966, features the celebrated Jazz musician Sun Ra and his Arkestra. Known for its eccentric blend of surrealism, music, and avant-garde aesthetic, the film is an enduring testament to Sun Ra's innovative fusion of art, music, and surreal visual storytelling.

The Magic Sun, directed by Phil Niblock, is a 17-minute composition which can be classified more as an artistic piece rather than a traditional film. This innovative project doesn't follow any conventional narrative structure, and the plot remains elusive throughout.

The film is fundamentally centered around the Afrofuturistic themes and spiritual ideas that Sun Ra himself enthusiastically propagated. Often labeled as a visionary and innovative genius, Sun Ra was a pioneer of Afrofuturism, a cultural and artistic movement that reimagined the future, history, and identity of African diaspora through a science fiction lens.

At the start of the film, the audience is drawn into an otherworldly realm of distorted reflections, shimmering blades of light, and ghost-like apparitions of the band members eagerly playing their instruments. The film’s monochromatic palette creates an ambiance mirroring distant galaxies and elements of cosmic infinity. The entire film is shot uniquely through 'high contrast negative' to give it an extra-terrestrial touch.

In The Magic Sun, the primary impression is of being lost in a cosmic void inexplicably filled with music, the ethereal sounds of Sun Ra’s ensemble. The soundtrack features Sun Ra's vigorous composition "The Magic City," creating an aura of mysticism throughout. It emphasizes his familiar cosmic philosophy, pushing boundaries, and experimenting with different elements of sound to create new ways of expression through music.

The Arkestra band members, like Sun Ra, Marshall Allen, and John Gilmore, are shown semi-abstracted, projected rhythmically in the flickering light, with shots of their alien-like figures playing, moving, and dancing. Their silhouetted figures, bathed in the supernatural light and enveloped in the darkness of space, convey Sun Ra's intergalactic vision.

The film seems to exist outside of time and space, slotting perfectly into Sun Ra's unique ideology that alien worlds and alternate dimensions can be channeled through artistic expression. He was renowned for his belief in the power of music, asserting that notes and sonic vibrations hold the potential to alter perceptions of reality. In The Magic Sun, such ideation comes alive in a sensory, resonating spectacle.

Throughout this short film, Niblock immerses the viewers in an entirely different universe, heavily layered with symbolic visuals that oscillate between the macro, micro, and cosmic, reinforcing Sun Ra’s vision of a strange, otherworldly existence.

The cinematography of The Magic Sun is nothing short of mesmerizing. It magnifies the connection between music and visuals, encouraging its audience to see music and hear the visuals. The use of unclear, distorted, black and white imagery might seem disconcerting, but it carries purpose, as it portrays the 'alien' lens through which Sun Ra viewed life and art— a world unbounded by earthly restrictions and conventional understandings of space-time continuums.

The Magic Sun draws upon multiple themes: Afrofuturism, the interaction of music and surrealism, and notions of the otherworldly or extraterrestrial. However, it is the sublime musical tapestry woven by Sun Ra and his Arkestra that leaves an indelible impact on viewers, a sound that is otherworldly and cosmic at its core. It transports listeners into another dimension, transforming the film into a sensory-overloading experience rather than just another piece of visual art.

In summary, The Magic Sun is a mesmerizing short film that ventures beyond traditional cinema or documentary constraints. It plunges viewers in the aesthetic dimension of Sun Ra's Afrofuturistic vision, showcasing his magical leadership and the ensemble’s mastery of their craft. The unorthodox visuals and the ambient, otherworldly music come together to denote Sun Ra's mythology in a unique cinematic language. It is a must-watch for those interested in avant-garde cinema, jazz music, or the unforgettable persona of Sun Ra and his wild ride through the cosmos.