Directed by Guy Maddin.
Starring Gretchen Krich and Sullivan Brown.
Starring Gretchen Krich and Sullivan Brown.
In a Nutshell: A man reflects on his deranged childhood.
Brand Upon the Brain! is an insidiously enjoyable experience showcasing the joy of Guy Maddin being Guy Maddin. Maddin gleefully celebrates and distorts the silent movie into a nightmarish adventure fantasy with just enough space to cut into some of our most human of fears and desires. The film consists of twelve interlinking vignettes told in flashback by a grown Maddin. As a child, he tells of the orphanage his parents operated inside of a lighthouse. Father would work in solitude in his mad-scientist lab. Mother (Gretchen Krich, theatrically terrifying) would fixate herself on achieving eternal youth while trying to constrain her children’s budding sexuality. Outside of either parent’s eye, Guy (Sullivan Brown) and Sis (Maya Lawson) discover a sinister black market for the orphans. Teen detective Wendy Hale (Katherine E. Scharhorn) investigates the case while disguised as her brother Chance (also Scharhorn). Already the object of Guy’s obsession, she falls into a forbidden romance with Sis that continues even after she discovers the real “Chance”.
Brand Upon the Brain! is an insidiously enjoyable experience showcasing the joy of Guy Maddin being Guy Maddin. Maddin gleefully celebrates and distorts the silent movie into a nightmarish adventure fantasy with just enough space to cut into some of our most human of fears and desires. The film consists of twelve interlinking vignettes told in flashback by a grown Maddin. As a child, he tells of the orphanage his parents operated inside of a lighthouse. Father would work in solitude in his mad-scientist lab. Mother (Gretchen Krich, theatrically terrifying) would fixate herself on achieving eternal youth while trying to constrain her children’s budding sexuality. Outside of either parent’s eye, Guy (Sullivan Brown) and Sis (Maya Lawson) discover a sinister black market for the orphans. Teen detective Wendy Hale (Katherine E. Scharhorn) investigates the case while disguised as her brother Chance (also Scharhorn). Already the object of Guy’s obsession, she falls into a forbidden romance with Sis that continues even after she discovers the real “Chance”.
Maddin intertwines sexual identification, memory and Oedipal attraction through the madness. That little elaboration is made is no detraction, but a testament to the command of Maddin’s visual style. He combines rapid editing with a reproduction of grainy film stock, awash in deep shadows. It is a style both playful and feverish, a complement to the film’s dark humor and bizarre themes. A fair number of viewers may become alienated but those with a firm grasp on Maddin will delight in his invention. Brand Upon the Brain! dips into some of the most perverse reaches of the human subconscious while tying in a detailed love for film history. It is bold, it is brilliant, and above all, it is undeniably Maddin.
NOTE: The film was originally presented live in an auditorium to recreate the silent movie experience. An unseen celebrity narrator and a live orchestra were also present. The Criterion DVD features a recorded soundtrack by composer Jason Staczek and the option to choose between any of the featured narrators (including Maddin himself).
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