Thanatopsis (film)

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Thanatopsis is a 1962 American experimental short film by Ed Emshwiller. It runs five minutes and features a motionless man (Mac Emshwiller) and an indistinct dancing woman (Becky Arnold). The soundtrack includes a heartbeat and a hacksaw. The title comes from Greek words meaning "death" and "sight," commonly interpreted as a meditation on death.

The film is one of Emshwiller’s early works that incorporate dance, joining other pieces such as Lifelines, Dance Chromatic, Fusion, Totem, Chrysalis, and Film With Three Dancers. Critic Peter Lev called Thanatopsis the most fascinating and technically accomplished of these early dance films, describing it as a disturbing contemplation on death. Jenelle Porter described it as visually spare yet energized by striking visual effects and its soundtrack.