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Dog Star Man

1964 1h 18m Fantasy List
100% Tomatometer 9 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
An ax-wielding man (Stan Brakhage) and his dog walk up a steep hill to chop down a dead tree. That very simple act serves as the starting point for a swirl of seemingly random, often repeated images as the man ascends through snow -- from a full moon to a naked woman to twisty mountains and streams. Via the visual assault, viewers are asked to understand man's personal, internal history and how he must endure despite being lost in the surrounding onslaught.

Critics Reviews

View All (9) Critics Reviews
J. Hoberman Village Voice A multilayered, self-consciously Joycean, naturally psychedelic epic. Apr 29, 2008 Full Review Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Whatever one thinks, and however much the film may seem dated now in relation to Brakhage's subsequent output, it is an achievement to be reckoned with. Apr 29, 2008 Full Review Max Nelson The New York Review of Books A dazzling feature for which Brakhage used increasingly colorful and multilayered superimpositions to intersperse Jane's footage of himself climbing a snow-covered hill with his images of her and their infant daughter. Dec 3, 2018 Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television Classic experimental film. Dec 29, 2017 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Regarded by Brakhage fans as his masterpiece. Rated: B May 1, 2010 Full Review Bryant Frazer Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus A jaw-dropping declaration of principles. Apr 29, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (4) audience reviews
Audience Member A beautiful journey into another dimension. It feels like modern music translated into visuals. Stunning. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review William L Experimental filmmakers mostly seem to go messing around with exposure, light, color, and subject to make something so bizarre and lacking in objective meaning that any number of interpretations can be applied to it. Very fortunately, Dog Star Man does not fit that mold. The film's prelude, with vague imagery reminiscent of planet-level events and bacteria-scale interactions, certainly doesn't bode well on its own (though it is the most acclaimed section), but it's the later sections that provide a more earthly counterpart that make the film work, presenting the film's rambling perspectives on cosmic forces and life itself in a particular context - here, as the hallucinations or divine visions of a mountaineer and his dog. In the context of the emerging genre of sweeping science fiction epics that would question the nature of existence and purpose, Dog Star Man is a rare bird - an experimental film that actually had some influence rather than simply making audiences a bit confused before moving on with their lives. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/16/21 Full Review s r Avant garde stuff that was boring and I hope to never see this again. 1001 movies to see before you die, but I don't recommend. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member I adored this, quite reasonably regarded as one of the finest post-silent short experimental works. Confused why it's regarded as five separate films, though. Seen on my university library's Criterion Collection DVD of Brakhage's anthology, Volume 1. I certainly hope to purchase for my own collection the blu release of Volumes 1 and 2. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Dog Star Man

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Movie Info

Synopsis An ax-wielding man (Stan Brakhage) and his dog walk up a steep hill to chop down a dead tree. That very simple act serves as the starting point for a swirl of seemingly random, often repeated images as the man ascends through snow -- from a full moon to a naked woman to twisty mountains and streams. Via the visual assault, viewers are asked to understand man's personal, internal history and how he must endure despite being lost in the surrounding onslaught.
Director
Stan Brakhage
Producer
Stan Brakhage
Screenwriter
Stan Brakhage
Genre
Fantasy
Runtime
1h 18m