Product Details

• Actors: Jerry Aronson, Jane Brakhage, Marilyn Brakhage, Stan Brakhage, Philip S. Solomon
• Directors: Jim Shedden
• Writers: Jim Shedden
• Producers: Alexa-Frances Shaw, Ron Mann
• Format: Color, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Zeitgeist Films
• DVD Release Date: July 27, 2004
• Run Time: 73 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002B55WU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #192,329 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Brakhage" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

From 1952 until his death in 2003, Stan Brakhage created almost 400 films. Working completely outside of the mainstream, he consistently redefined cinematic art with such celebrated pieces as WINDOW WATER BABY MOVING (his first wife giving birth) and MOTHLIGHT (leaves and butterflies taped to celluloid), as well as a host of films hand-painted in shockingly brilliant color including DANTE’S QUARTET and BLACK ICE. Juxtaposing archival footage spanning 35 years, as well as rare film excerpts and vintage and contemporary interviews with Brakhage, his friends, family, colleagues and critics, BRAKHAGE is the perfect complement to the Criterion Collection’s BY BRAKHAGE DVD. Executive produced by Ron Mann (GRASS, TWIST), Jim Shedden’s stunning, bittersweet portrait explores the depth and breadth of Brakhage’s genius and the exquisite splendor of his films.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Filmmaking Inspired by Radical Rhythms and Abstraction, January 28, 2005

By 

Nicholas Croft (New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brakhage (DVD)

Throughout his entire career, Stan Brakhage has struggled to remain true to his personal vision of filmmaking. Jim Shedden has captured the details of this remarkable journey in his seventy-five minute documentary "Brakhage". It is the captivating story of a filmmaker who goes inward in order to find the existential meaning of his art.

The documentary weaves observations by film critic Bart Testa, filmmaker Phil Solomon and film historian P. Adams Sitney around both recent and historical interviews with Stan Brakhage and his family. It shows just enough of Brakhage's original film art to whet the appetite for the Criterion Collection's "By Brakhage" DVD set. Brakhage originally shot his early works in an economically demanding 16mm film format, but later, also worked extensively with the more frugal 8mm. He wanted to "live with his films" in order to be able to work with and contemplate them as an integral part of his domestic life.

There are two major arcs to Stan Brakhage's career. The first involves his years of marriage to Jane and the many autobiographical films that were made in the setting of their Colorado mountain home. The second body of work was generated after his second marriage to Marilyn. It involves the hand painting of clear film stock with colored markers and dyes. Many of these films, from both periods, are intended to be viewed in silence in order to help heighten the viewer's sense of sight.

The "Brakhage" documentary does, however, contain an audio score by James Tenney. Tenney is an experimental musician who has done pioneering computer audio research, with Max Mathews at Bell Labs, back in the early 1960's. In this film, Mr. Tenney's sparse sound work infuses an air of bittersweet mystery into both new and archival film footage.

For fans of avant-garde cinema, the experience of encountering "Brakhage" will be one of quiet inspiration, gentle surprise and welcome education. This is an important film to add to any personal library on contemporary art.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars See, and See Inside, January 9, 2006

By 

J. Merritt - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brakhage (DVD)

To call Stan Brakhage's work an acquired taste is to rather underestimate the challenge, and to say that he was ahead of his time is to apply common language where uncommon language is needed. His films are still ahead of their time, they were outside time, they may well have not had a time, and this documentary is a timely introduction and overview of his life and art for a new generation. I watched it and then immediately purchased the expansive Criterion collection of his work, and any documentary that makes you want to immediately explore the subject further has done its job. This documentary does it job, quite admirably.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful doc on Brakhage., March 9, 2010

By 

Dan Allen "the canon" (Denver, CO USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brakhage (DVD)

Jim Sheddon's documentary on Stan Brakhage is stunning. It does Brakhage justice, and is beautifully presented. One really gets a sense of the artist(an an amazing oevre in the making). If you have any interest in Stan Brakhage, this is a must. Everything from family to teachers to fellow filmmakers, even a tour of his old home in Denver? Interviews with artists such as Phil Soloman, wow wow wow! Enjoy this one if you can find it. Brakhage