BrandUponTheBrain Tagged Articles at Cinematical

Brand Upon the Brain!
If you ever loved the artistry of David Lynch, but thought his films were too dark and incomprehensible, there's Guy Maddin to ride in on a sea of comedic absurdity. With his silent film Brand Upon the Brain! he did something entirely different -- he created the ultimate live theater experience, one that can never be replicated at home unless you're ridiculously rich with a live orchestra, group of foley artists, a celebrity narrator, and a castrato at your disposal. But even still, this Criterion release does a fine job of coming close.

But first, the plot. The film focuses on a young Guy Maddin as he lives on a remote island that holds a lonely orphanage. His mother reigns with an iron fist and peeping watchtower while trying to reverse the weariness of age with her strange, scientist husband. Meanwhile, one of the orphans dies, strange holes are found on some of the kids, and some teen detectives come to investigate, all in the pulsing throb of teenage rebellion and sexuality.

While you can't create the live experience at home, Criterion has done everything possible to make this disc like the live experience. Each screening across Canada and the states had a celebrity narrator, and this disc allows you to choose between the seven narrators, which essentially gives you seven different ways to view the film -- from Maddin himself to Isabella Rossellini, John Ashbery, and Crispin Glover. There's also a documentary with interviews, two new short films, deleted scenes, a trailer, and an essay by Dennis Lim.

Check out James Rocchi's Review | Buy the DVD

For any film, it's an undeniable accomplishment to ensnare a viewer and have them ride every high and low, anxiously reacting to the pace and feel of each scene. Everything from the lighting to the sound has to be right on cue and woven together with an intriguing story. With every piece that's off, it's another exit door offered to the viewer. Furthermore, when a film is silent, it is even more imperative to lure the audience in. Guy Maddin's Brand Upon the Brain! is the perfect blending of modern quirk and classic techniques of black and white storytelling and silence. However, to truly experience it is not to throw a DVD on your television, but to go out and feel it for yourself.

In September, I had the most memorable moviegoing experience of my life when TIFF did a one-night-only life performance of Brand. As James Rocchi described in September, the welcome false-start showed just how important the music and accompaniment are to the piece. In complete silence the film was jarring and beyond-Maddin strange, but with the music, it began to flow like a sweet, monochrome dream. Every sound was re-created from that moment, from narration to sound effects. It made it immediate and real, fun and exciting.

I, therefore, strongly urge anyone with the means to head to Berlin and watch the live performance of the film, which has already sparkled in Toronto and New York City. I have no idea if another screening like this will happen, and it's with Isabella Rossellini,* oft-collaborator of Maddin. It's sure to be an amazing one-time experience and a great reason to take a few days off and travel in the New Year. Better yet, it'd be the perfect cherry to an international Valentine's Day, since the performance will start at 9:30 PM on February 15.

*Unfortunately, Rossellini wasn't the narrator for the Toronto performance, so I'd love to hear from any of you who might have seen her rendition in New York City. ...