"In Free Radicals Len Lye put aside his interest in colour and concentrated on a stark, black and white use of the 'direct' method, by scratching on black leader. He has described the film as 'white ziggle–zag–splutter scratches ... in quite doodling fashion.' The film's title is a reference to modern physics –– 'free radicals' are particles of energy –– but the visual style is still reminiscent of tribal art."
