Country: United States/France
Director: Kenneth Anger
Starring: Kenneth Anger, various
Review By: Jeff
Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars (very good)

The Films of Kenneth Anger Vol. 1 is a DVD collection of historically significant short films that are also remarkably fun. Anyone with a fear of underground or experimental films would do well to overcome their phobia by watching this collection of fascinating, witty, enigmatic and surprisingly modern works.

FIREWORKS (1947)

Fireworks is a witty, somewhat harrowing film that explores the intersection between sex and danger. The dialogue-free film depicts the feverish sexual fantasies of an unnamed protagonist, as he gets roughed up by some sailors and cruises a men’s room, among other highlights. Interspersed with these adventures are some gruesome Bunuel-style imagery involving milk, water, blood, guts and a flaming Christmas tree, as well as striking shots of Hollywood at night. The titular fireworks provide the film’s spectacular, hilarious climax, which I would not dream of spoiling.

Astonishingly, Anger directed Fireworks when he was only 17 years old. Anger’s grasp of technique at that age was as mature as the subject matter of the film. As the frame above makes clear, at this point in time Anger was already adept at dramatic compositions and lighting. Moreover, Fireworks displays a facility with depth and perspective that is also evident in his later works. In particular, Anger makes excellent use of a painted set of a barroom that looks both convincing and slightly surreal. Through these effective production tricks, Anger disguises well the fact that Fireworks was a homemade effort, produced while his parents were away for the weekend.

I would not be surprised if Fireworks was a major influence on some of Guy Maddin’s recent sexually charged, silent-style films such as Cowards Bend the Knee and Sissy Boy Slap Party. The Maddin films films combine antiquated filmmaking techniques with contemporary sexual frankness in a way that appears novel to many. However, Fireworks proves that there truly is nothing new under the sun, and that films with such subject matter have been made for decades. Fireworks also shares their surreal milieu and wry sense of humor, and fans of Maddin would be well-advised to give Fireworks a look.

RABBIT’S MOON (1950)

Rabbit’s Moon is a curious take on commedia dell’arte. Set to doo-wop music (the film was not completed until the 1970s), it concerns the travails of Pierrot (a mime figure), who attempts to woo a projected image of Columbine (a fairy figure) by offering her the moon. Columbine rejects his gift, and absconds with Harlequin (a jester figure). These three figures are represented by performers on loan from Marcel Marceau’s school, and they play their roles gracefully but campily.

Anger sets this action in a surreal forest of tinsel, shooting in deep focus on 35mm film stock, tinted blue. The look of the film is simply gorgeous. Again, Anger exhibited his facility with depth by building the set in perspective (he reveals in his commentary track that he made some of the trees in the background shorter than the others so they would appear to be farther away). Rabbit’s Moon is an absolutely fascinating work, though I am not entirely sure why. I do know that the crisp photography, blue tinting and doo-wop music play a huge role in the film’s appeal; it certainly would not work as well without any of these aspects. (The DVD contains outtakes that are not tinted blue, and they fail to cast the same spell as the actual film.)

The performance by André Soubeyran, the actor who plays Pierrot, is also noteworthy. Pierrot’s heart is broken twice: first by the moon itself, which he unsuccessfully tries to capture, and then by Columbine, who similarly eludes his grasp. Soubeyran invests this scenario with a great deal of pathos. He makes Pierrot a wistful, tragic figure, who is both rapturously in love with the beautiful things around him and anguished that they will never be his.

PUCE MOMENT (1949)

Puce Moment is a fragment from a larger work entitled Puce Women that was never completed. (According to Anger, “puce” is a 1920’s fashion term for a type of purple material.) The film is a study in glamour; years before Warhol created his own underground movie “superstars,” Anger did the same with the unnamed protagonist of this film. The protagonist is a woman who selects from an array of curtain-like dresses that she dangles before the camera, then puts on some perfume, floats on a lounge to her rooftop, and finally escorts some dogs. Unlike the earlier Fireworks, Puce Moment is in color, and features deep, rich hues. The film also anticipates the work of Cindy Sherman with its seemingly candid, almost voyeuristic glimpses of a glamorous female figure. It would be interesting to find out how this “moment” fit in with the larger film that Anger was not able to finish. Would the other “puce women” have been as glamorous as our star? Would they also have the power to levitate to their rooftops?

EAUX D’ARTIFICE (1953)

Eaux d’artifice (the title is a pun, combining the French words for “water” and “fireworks”) is a plotless short film in which a woman in Marie Antoinette-style garb scurries around a garden filled with fountains. The woman is an enigma. She is never seen clearly, as the camera only captures fleeting of glimpses her, often at the edges of the frame. (Anger reveals in the commentary track that he cast a little person in this role in order to make the fountains appear larger.) Shot in natural light, the film is a remarkable technical achievement, capturing dramatic shadows and some dazzling interplay between light and water. The film lavishes particular attention on the fountains’ overlapping streams of water, which take on a curiously sexual quality. (Anger explains that he shot the film in sunlight using heavy red filters and employed various camera speeds to isolate individual drops of water.) Although it lacks the emotional punch of Rabbit’s Moon and the outrageousness of Fireworks, Eaux d’artifice is nonetheless an aesthetically pleasing experience and an excellent example of Anger’s meticulous attention to detail.

INAUGURATION OF THE PLEASURE DOME (1954)

Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome depicts a series of arcane occult rituals, performed by various mythological and fictional figures, from Isis to Cesare from the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Here, Anger employs garish colors and multiple exposures to give the film a druggy, otherwordly vibe. As the film progresses, the characters become increasingly intoxicated from the magical potions and jewels they imbibe, and Anger overlays an increasing number of shots on top of each other to simulate that state. Anger reveals in his commentary that the film was inspired by a Halloween party Anger attended that had a “Come As Your Madness” theme. Many of the party’s attendees recreated their roles for the film — these include Anaïs Nin (with a birdcage on her head) and Curtis Harrington (as Cesare). I must confess that the film’s occult references were completely lost on me, and I found Anger’s prolonged use of overlapping, repetitive footage to grow a bit tiresome after a while. While this film is not exactly my cup of tea, it is inarguably a work of tremendous historical interest both for its cast of mid-century underground Hollywood luminaries and for its proto-psychedelic effects.

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DVD DETAILS

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DVD Company: Fantoma (http://www.fantoma.com)
Release Date: January 23, 2007

Extras: Director’s audio commentary, restoration demonstration, outtakes, 48-page booklet

Fantoma have put together a fantastic package. Each film has been restored, and the image clarity is startling. (Indeed, the characters in Rabbit’s Moon appear to be ready to jump out of the screen.) Each film also boasts an optional commentary track by Anger. He alternates in his commentary between describing his filmmaking technique, explaining his symbolism, and providing chatty anecdotes about his cast and crew. Although there are a few gaps in the commentary, this is an invaluable track that provides some much-needed context for these mysterious films. Fantoma have also included a restoration demonstration for each of the films, as well as some outtakes from Rabbit’s Moon. Although it was not included with the advance copy that Cinema Strikes Back was provided for review, the DVD package is advertised as including a 48-page booklet featuring, among other things, an introduction by Martin Scorsese.