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Begotten
1991 72 min United States of America 18+
★5.9
Fantasy, Horror
Director: E. Elias Merhige
Trailers
Description
Begotten is the creation myth brought to life, the story of no less than the violent death of God and the (re)birth of nature on a barren earth.
Budget:
$33,000
Starring
Brian Salzberg
Actor
Donna Dempsey
Actor
Stephen Charles Barry
Actor
Key opinion
Begotten is a polarizing avant-garde horror film that functions more as an atmospheric, non-narrative experience than a traditional movie. While many viewers are deeply unsettled or moved by its visceral, symbolic depiction of creation and destruction, others find its experimental nature and excessive length to be tedious and devoid of coherent meaning.
| Cinematography | The film utilizes a raw, high-contrast black-and-white visual style that effectively creates a nightmarish, ancient, and deeply unsettling aesthetic. | |
| Theme | The lack of traditional narrative and dialogue forces viewers to interpret complex, often grotesque biblical and metaphysical allegories intuitively. | |
| Score | The sparse, ambient sound design effectively builds an immersive and oppressive atmosphere. | |
| Runtime | The film is widely criticized for its repetitive and unnecessarily long duration, with many arguing that it would function more effectively as a short film. | |
| Direction | The experimental, abstract visuals are divisive; some perceive them as a profound, transcendent artistic expression, while others find them mentally draining and visually incoherent. |