Event Blog #1

Event Blog #1

I attended the screening of the 1958 film Anticipation of the Night by Stan Brakhage that is the central film of the series “Metaphors on Vision”. I went in with an open mind. Note: I forgot to take a picture of myself at the event, only my ticket stub, so I provided evidence by taking a picture of myself with the stub (notice the same nail polish in both pictures).

I was taken aback by this film. It consists of a series of antique looking shots of nature and
shadows passing on walls, among various imagery. I thought this would preface the plot, but it turns
out this was the movie. The film is a progression of somewhat related images and movement
that appears to be through the eyes of a person, beginning with environmental aspects,
moving to scenes from the morning hours of a home, specifically shots of children
sleeping. I left feeling disillusioned and confused about what I saw.

Afterwards, I delved into commentary from the cinema community. According to P. Adams Sitney,
“The great achievement of Anticipation of the Night is the distillation of an intense and complex
interior crisis into an orchestration of sights and associations". This quote helped me understand
the intention of the film style, which I went on to learn more about.  The film reference forum review
of the film revealed the genre of the film, “The Trance/Psychodrama approach”, that emphasizes the
“surreal, dream narratives of psychological revelation..."

Shot from "Anticipation of the Night"

Supposedly, the cinema community has regarded this film as a “major theoretical statement by one of avant-garde cinema’s most influential figures”, from the description of the film by the UCLA department of film and television. However, to me, a 48 minute film with absolutely no sound, and no distinguishable story, made me unsettled. I was unaware of the importance of a film that conveys no emotion or real feeling whatsoever, besides the disturbed uneasiness I got from the shots of sleeping babies. Although I appreciate the originality of the style, I was unable to enjoy the eerie montage of visual perceptions as an artistic statement.

Sources:

“Anticipation Of The Night - Film (Movie) Plot and Review.” Film Reference,

www.filmreference.com/Films-Am-Aw/Anticipation-of-the-Night.html#ixzz5Cm6aXSjP.

STAN BRAKHAGE - ANTICIPATION OF THE NIGHT.

re-voir.com/shop/en/stan-brakhage-dvd/867-stan-brakhage-anticipation-of-the-night.html.

“Billy Wilder Theater Programs.” Metaphors on Vision: Films by Stan Brakhage | UCLA Film &

Television Archive, www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2018/stan-brakhage.

Camper, Fred. “Anticipation of the Night.” Chicago Reader,

www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/anticipation-of-the-night/Film?oid=1053549.