Return to Reason

film by Man Ray

Also known as: “Le Retour à la raison”

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Last updated

July 19, 2026

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Return to Reason (1923) is a short film by Man Ray, a key figure in the Dada and Surrealist movements. The film applies Man Ray's "rayograph" technique to motion pictures, creating abstract patterns using everyday objects like salt, pepper, and pins. This experimental approach, where objects are placed directly on light-sensitive material and exposed to light, was a significant innovation in early avant-garde cinema. The film is a visual exploration of form and texture, characteristic of Man Ray's broader artistic experiments across photography, painting, and film.1

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Man Ray
…Retour à la raison (1923; Return to Reason), he applied the rayograph technique to motion-picture film, making patterns with salt, pepper, tacks, and pins. His other films include Anémic cinéma (1926; in collaboration with Duchamp) and L’Étoile de mer (1928–29; “Star of the Sea”), which is considered a Surrealist classic.
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…Retour à la raison (1923; Return to Reason), he applied the rayograph technique to motion-picture film, making patterns with salt, pepper, tacks, and pins. His other films include Anémic cinéma (1926; in collaboration with Duchamp) and L’Étoile de mer (1928–29; “Star of the Sea”), which is considered a Surrealist classic.
Read More