Ruth Shaw-Williams UK
Speed Cinema of Motion
Book selected: Speed Cinema of Motion by Adrian Werner, 1975
In the famous sideshow motorcycle stunt known as the “Wall of Death”, the riders demonstrate that it is
possible to bend the laws of gravity through the use of speed. In this stunt the seemingly impossible -
a motorcycle balancing at a right angle to a curved vertical wall - is made possible. The Zoetrope and the
Wall of Death share more than the same basic shape; both devices are capable of creating fantastic
illusions through the application of enough speed. The Zoetrope, in creating the illusion of motion, might
well be called the Wheel of Life.

ruth.shawwilliams@btinternet.com