There is a lot of energy to Desistfilm, literal naval-gazing (at one point a guy is picking his belly button), dancing, cavorting, close ups of boobs under non-cleavage-y closes, perverts leering through windows, the sound at first of a fly and then things like music horns spliced together with car horns.
It's a symphony of audio chaos with what is actually, considering other films Brakhage would make after this, somewhat coherent visually speaking. It's like a frenetic 7 minute punk rock song - remember how the Ramones's early songs were about sitting around with nothing to do and/or chainsaws? - only these are Beatniks, who were sometimes crazier, and it has that feel of mania that comes with young people drinking and maybe high on something we cant understand.
But at the same time there's no sexual component (past boobs and leering peeping toms) like in Kenneth Anger. It's messy, but it's not a bad place to start if you are just discovering this director exists (I imagine it being first on the Criterion Collection compilation isnt random). This is plotless anarchic delights of youth.
It's a symphony of audio chaos with what is actually, considering other films Brakhage would make after this, somewhat coherent visually speaking. It's like a frenetic 7 minute punk rock song - remember how the Ramones's early songs were about sitting around with nothing to do and/or chainsaws? - only these are Beatniks, who were sometimes crazier, and it has that feel of mania that comes with young people drinking and maybe high on something we cant understand.
But at the same time there's no sexual component (past boobs and leering peeping toms) like in Kenneth Anger. It's messy, but it's not a bad place to start if you are just discovering this director exists (I imagine it being first on the Criterion Collection compilation isnt random). This is plotless anarchic delights of youth.