What Kind of Home Movie(s) Does the Post-War Amateur Avant-Garde Make?
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To consider what kind of home movies the post- war amateur avant-garde makes I will compare the typical pre-war amateur home films with the post-war one. The examples of pre- war amateur films are Archie Stewarts home movies. I will contrast them with Stan Brakhages film Window Water Baby Moving which was created after World War II.
Stewart makes his films to record himself and his family. He probably does it in token of remembrance. In his movies it is possible to find important moments for every family, like holidays, Christmas or birthdays. In Stewards movies people are happy, beautiful and smiling. However, when I watched those movies I felt that I see the theatrical performance. For me, in Stewards films his family behaviours unnaturally. Even Stewards voice sounds is artificial. I felt that he, like an actor, recites or even reads his role, which was earlier wrote. Besides, he also shows only invents which are in some sense proper and worthy admirable or even enviable by others, by people who will watch his movies.
Brakhages Window Water Baby Moving is a document which shows the birth of Brakhages first child. Like in Stewarts movies, Brakhage shows very important moment of his family. It is common point for both makers. However, Brakhage does it in other way than Stewart. Brakhages movie is an experimental one. In other words, we can say that his film is innovatory, original. He creates movie which demonstrate childbirth in the purest form. By pure form I mean that Brakhage shows blood, pain and suffering of woman. Of course, the result of this suffering is a miracle, is a baby. So, Brakhage shows life and in some way happiness because the moment of childbirth is the most important and the happiest moment of life for parents. But he does not avoid ugly side of this invent. Despite the fact, that his film is silent, when I saw Brakhages wife, in my head in some way I heard her scream. This movie is very true, real, authentic. So Window Water Baby Moving is a movie which is loose and poetic but also very frank.
In Metaphors on Vision Brakhage states that: The artist is one who leaps that fence at night, catters his seeds among the cabbages, hybrid seeds inspired by both the garden and wits-end forest where only fools and madmen wander. This statement in quite poetic way describes what Brakhage understands by term artist. I think that he fully fulfils this definition. Window Water Baby Moving is as poetic as above definition. This movie shows that the post- war home movies are true and innovatory. As Brakhage who is also true artist and moreover experimental artist who makes films with sincerity.