Honor and Obey1988

"...what was clear was Sonbert's absolute mastery of form." -Elliot Stein, Film Comment "In Warren Sonbert's HONOR AND OBEY soldiers march in formation, a tiger stalks through the snow, religious processions wind through the streets, and palm trees wave in a tropical breeze. As brightly colored images of authority figures blend into scenes of cocktail parties, this 21-minutes silent film flows along with the grace of a musical score built on complex tensions hidden among notes. 'Whose authority will you obey?' the film seems to ask, as it deftly avoids simple minded juxtapositions. Instead, we see a melange of images so full of geography (Notre Dame Cathedral, The Sydney Opera House, Fifth Avenue) , that the work mocks the idea of any specific setting. Sooner or later, social and natural laws meet and probably clash, Mr. Sonbert suggests, but in this scenario of discrete images, all is apparent harmony. HONOR AND OBEY is by far the most accomplished and rewarding piece in 'Avant-Garde Voices,' the title covering five works by independent filmmakers shown at the New York Film Festival ..." Caryn James, The New York Times