The Chinese martial arts clearly offered [Maya Deren] exactly what she was looking for, not just in their balletic grace but also in their implicit union of philosophical and physical essences. Accordingly, Meditation on Violence shows a martial arts performance in virtual isolation, and is shot and edited in a way that 'expresses' the film-maker's reading of the performer's actions. It is apparently structured as a cycle: the half-naked performer is first seen practising so-called 'Wu-Tang' movements (a 'soft', interiorised style of boxing), then abruptly switching to 'Shao-Lin' movements (which are 'harder', less physically harmonious and more aggressive), and then escalating into 'Shao-Lin' swordplay. For the latter sequence only, the performer appears in exotic robes and is seen in the open air; the swordplay climaxes with a series of slow-motion leaps and a protracted freeze-frame. The film then retraces its steps through the cycle, ending as it began...