After the pretty yet somewhat disappointing short "Scenes from Under Childhood, Section One", "The Machine of Eden" provided a slight relief for me. It did not feel nearly as tedious, although I did have my blacking-out-while-watching-a-movie moments at times. I really liked the locations and techniques Brakhage used in this film, even if at times they get slightly repetitive. It's an overall very beautiful and poetic experience. In some strange way, many of the more poetic Brakhage films feel like a religious experience (and it's impossible for me not to mention that this very film has a religion-referencing title), they feel Heavenly, and others even feel like a trip to Hell (for example: "The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes" and "The Dante Quartet").
This is definitely an impressive and visually stunning effort by Brakhage that will certainly please fans of poetic and beautiful imagery.