It was with persistent energy that Eggeling set out to work in an entirely new area. There were a few pioneers here and there who wanted to accomplish the same thing but did not know of one another’s work. There were no experiences, no technical institutions, no method, and no model. They all had to create everything on their own. With no means at his disposal other than extreme effort and deep conviction, and without once abandoning the way of the artist, Eggeling neared his goal step by step. To be sure, his Symphonie Diagonale had not yet solved all the problems of an absolute film. But, all things considered, I still think that Eggeling produced the definitive work, which served as a source of inspiration for others and made their own work less difficult.

Adolf Behne