More or less I am the wrong person to look at the contents of this DVD.
When I do the film review sections of these DVD reviews I usually just
like to give a general idea if you, the reader, would enjoy the contents
of the disc, of course by putting my personal feelings about the film (or
in this case, films) contained on the disc. I'm not one to analyze
a film (or films) in a review either because a.) I'm really too lazy to do
it or b.) I just don't want to ruin it (though there are times where I
accidently do that). Did I like the films on this disc? For the most part
I really did. There's some amazing stuff on this DVD, but it should almost
go without saying that Stan Brakhage is not for everyone and the only
reason some people may want to watch his films is just to see the
origin of the now famous credit sequence for Seven or where music
video directors probably got their ideas for some of the images in their
videos, or possibly part of P.T. Anderson's influence with Punch-Drunk
Love. And then there are those (probably the majority who want this
DVD) that want to be taken away by the visual poet with his images
involving life, love and death.
For those that don't know, Stan Brakhage was a film director who made
(according to the back packaging anyways) over 400 films in his long
career (he passed away not too long ago while working with Criterion on
this wonderful DVD). While he was a fan of movies (as he even states in
one of the interviews on this set) he would work completely on his own
terms. Seeing himself more as a frusterated poet/artist, he would use the
medium of film to express himself. His early days could probably be
considered more coherent as his later days became more experitmental. Did
I get everything that Brakhage did in the films included on this
DVD? No, and I'm not afraid to admit it. Did I at least enjoy the films
presented on this DVD? For the most part, yes. Given there are a few I
considered pure hogwash (really this was only a couple of them including
The Stars Are Beautiful and Kindred) but most of the films
are quite incredible to look at.
The thing about Brakhage's films is that I'm sure he really made them
more for himself, so they're not something everyone can get into, so to
speak. His films usually reflect periods of his life and when you can pick
this out you can understand them a little better. He is obsessed with life
and death and all his films really do reflect this in one form or another.
His obsession (or fear, to be more correct) of death is best shown in
The Act of Seeing With One's Own Eyes, which is what the word
"autopsy" means. This film footage shows actual autopsy coverage (and is
probably the only true straight-forward piece in the set) and he gets in
there close, even capturing some of the truly painful moments surrounding
death, which surprisingly doesn't involve any of the cutting, but more the
fact a fly can rest on the body and the body doesn't flinch or react in
any other way to scare the fly off.
His obsession with love and life is seen in his films as well, but best
shown in Window Water Baby Moving, which could almost be considered
home video footage as Brakhage documents his wife's pregnancy, in a very
artful manner of course. To my understanding men were not allowed anywhere
near the actual delivery area before this film was made. This film
actually led to men being able to participate in the birth process and
even led to others filming the birth. Of course all that is just what
happened after the film was made. The film itself is of typical Brakhage
style (though it is missing the layers), with odd quick cutting and an
amazing use of angles. But he concentrates on such loving things (hands on
his wife's stomach), simple things that it makes the film probably the
most compassionate one in the bunch. The actual birth is captured in such
a manner that it's not off-putting (as most men seem to think) but quite
beautiful. And I'm sorry, but one would have to be completely heartless
not to grin when we see the happy new father.
Other films like Wedlock House: An Intercourse and Cat's
Cradle seem to look at the more uneasy elements of love and/or
marriage, where they seem to concentrate on couples that have such loving
moments (including a love making scene) but then can feel cold and
distant. To my understanding the people participating in the films were
Brakhage and his wife, so this may have been personal documents, but
interesting studies at any rate.
His films that are made up of painted frames may be tougher for some
people, but really if you just watch them, or maybe more correctly, look
at them as if they were paintings (moving paintings) they may work easier
on you (the signatures at the end, "by brakhage", can be easily viewed as
the signature you find in the corner of any painting). Basically what
these films are, ranging from Black Ice to Eye Myth to
Untitled and so on, are painted frames. To my understanding the
film strips themselves could be presented themselves or they could be
viewed. I've only seen the strips in photographs but I could see how
hanging them themselves on the wall may work. But viewing them on the
screen gives a better effect most definitely. The colours do dance around
(and sometimes it makes wonderful little effects, like Black Ice,
where you literally feel like you're flying through something) and
you can see emotions (like Rage Net, where you can see he was
probably pissed about something--according to the "remarks" he was going
through a divorce). You can even make out some objects, most notably in
Stellar where you can make out stars and nebulae and bits of debris
that could be found in space.
He uses different size film (even IMAX stuff) to make his films, and of
course uses different speeds, which have varying effects on the viewer
(Stellar starts slow but then it begins cutting quickly between
different images). At times he even scratches words into the film, almost
making a poem that uses both images and words (the scratching apparently
started as a neccessity to cut down on costs, but is something he
kept).
Of course he's not just limited to his oddly filmed live action shorts,
or his painted shorts (or the blends of both like Eye Myth and
The Wold Shadow), but he of course made other visual treats, like
the first one I saw, which is entitled Mothlight, where he pasted
moth wings onto the film, making what I can only call a "too cool" visual
effect. Like all artwork, there is a story behind it (and everything else
on here) and knowing it probably doesn't hurt, but it's still a charming
piece to view. The Garden of Earthly Delights wasn't as pleasing
visually as Mothlight (for me anyways), but it's the same idea
where it looks like he glued vegetation to the film.
He even experimented in what I guess could be more "linear" forms of
visual storytelling, though for most people they're still not going to be
very "linear". Dog Star Man is the longest film on here, running
about 75 minutes, which appears to be about a man climbing the mountains,
chopping trees and having a hard time doing it (in all honesty that's all
I could really figure out). It also includes many shots of what could be
an ecclipse and birth. It can be simple in connecting the film's themes,
but what is actually going on is hard to put together. Another one called
I...Dreaming is apparently Brakhage's attempt at melodrama. Made
when I'm guessing he was again depressed, he records himself and his
family, editing it in his usual style, this time with a score over it,
which gives it it's emotional weight.
Of course I didn't enjoy all the shorts on here. Despite the fact I
admittedly had a hard time with Dog Star Man, that one didn't
really bother me as I at least had a general idea of where it was going.
The Stars Are Beautiful was actually the hardest one for me to get
through on this set, as we cut between different images with Brakhage
narrating something and then cut over to his children clipping the
wings of chickens. I'm sure it means something but I don't know what.
Kindering is another one that bothered me, though I don't know why.
Something about watching children playing presented in an almost evil way
(especially when you realize they're his grandchildren) is very
off-putting. I'm sure that everyone won't have this problem, but
personally I didn't enjoy sitting through these two.
Of course it will all depend on the individual. I really did enjoy
going through this set and I know I'll be going through portions of it
again. It has to be remembered for those that are afraid of this type of
film that really these are simply no different than any other form of art
work (Black Ice was inspired by a fall he took after slipping on
black ice). Yes, the the films on here reflect the artist which some will
definitely find self-indulgent, but it's really no different than any
other piece of art. I mostly enjoyed the films on here just for the
creativity and work that went behind them. They do look great, and they're
not labourous to sit through, which I'm sure some will fear to be the
case. They all go by incredibly fast because you end up anticipating what
he's going to show you next.
This incredible DVD set from Criterion, which was a total surprise
since I always figured Brakhage would prefer his films stay off of home
video, contains 26 of his films. The first disc only contains 4, inclucing
Desistfilm, Wedlock Hous: An Intercourse, Dog Star
Man (divided into 5 parts), and The Act of Seeing With One's Own
Eyes. THe last two are the longest ones on the set, which of course
takes up most of the space. The second disc contains a bulk of shorter
ones including: Cat's Cradle, Window Water Baby Moving,
Mothlight, Eye Myth, The Wold Shadow, The Garden
of Earthly Delights, The Stars Are Beautiful, Kindering,
I...Dreaming, The Dante Quartet, Nightmusic, Rage
Net, Glazes of Cathexis, Delicacies of Molten Horror
Synapse, Untitles (For Marilyn), Black Ice, Study in
Color and Black and White, Stellar, Crack Glass Eulogy,
The Dark Tower, Commingled Containers and Love
Song.
This set is definitely not for everyone and I know only a few select
people will be going out to buy it. But for those that are actually
curious you may want to give it a shot, in fact if you are at least
curious chances are you know what to expect and I can't see you not
enjoying the shorts on here. The film's are meant for private viewing and
on home video that is perfect (previously if you wanted a copy of a film
Brakhage would sell you a copy on a reel) and on DVD that means you get a
good quality presentation (which you definitely get here) as Brakhage
would have intended (apparently he never released them on home video
because VHS and laserdisc wouldn't have been able to deliver as sharp an
image as he would have wanted). I may not have been the best person to
review the content of the disc, but as the old saying goes "I may not know
art but I know what I like." And in the simplest terms possible, I liked
this.
Originally Written:
6/24/2003 -- Revised: 7/8/2003
From DVD Collector's Haven