Canudo's primary goal was to elevate cinema from being seen as a mere scientific curiosity or fairground attraction to a legitimate form of high art. He argued that cinema was the ultimate "total art" because it synthesized the "spatial" arts (architecture, sculpture, painting) with the "temporal" arts (music, poetry, dance).
Cinema, according to Canudo, reconciles these two realms, merging the physical beauty of plastic arts with the temporal flow of music and poetry. Historical Context & Evolution The manifesto was an update to his 1911 work, La Naissance d'un sixième art Ricciotto Canudo Manifesto Das Sete Artes Pdf
At a time when movies were often dismissed as mere "craft" or mechanical recordings, Canudo insisted they were a significant spiritual and artistic expression. Total Art: Canudo's primary goal was to elevate cinema from