WR: The Mysteries of the Organism

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William L "It's not the same as becoming excited sexually ... though it was related to that." Experimental or otherwise explicitly unconventional film all too often feels like it is attempting to be disinct for the sake of distinction alone rather than in pursuit of any sort of vision, or perhaps deliberately obtuse to give the impression that a filmmaker is some sort of misunderstood auteur. Mysteries of the Organism is built on a totally unconventional narrative structure, combining clips from Soviet propaganda films, drama in modern settings, sincere period documentaries of varying subjects, and stitches it all together in service of a larger commentary on the interconnectedness of sexuality, health, and politics; but most importantly, the film is never dull and remains thematically tight despite its seemingly random nature. The film is unconventional without seeming too pretentious, which is more than you can say about a lot of the experimental genre (looking at you, Blonde Cobra). Wilhelm Reich's 'research' was based on nothing objective and can only be considered pseudoscience, but it's not like the film is so much an explicit endorsement of his teachings as it is a representative of one way in which the role of the orgasm has been discussed in mainstream culture. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/01/21 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. However, this one was so out there, I was embarrassed when I recommended it to some friends without knowing what we were in for. It was graphic and ambitious. Props for their Yugoslavian "critique" on the USSR's communism, but this one is not one I plan to see again. It was on youtube. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Strange but brilliant. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member The life and work of Wilhelm Reich are discussed, and then some communists scream at each other about orgasms and the bourgeois. There is also a singing severed head and some transvestites eating ice cream. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Superficially it's about sex. But really it's about Yugoslavia being in between America and the Soviet Union, about social democracy being in between capitalism and socialism/communism, about the petty bourgeoisie being in between the capitalists and the proletariat. If this film is anything to go by, then Yugoslavia must have been the worst (the most anarchist, the most decadent) communist (or rather socialist) country--as anti-Stalin communists are the worst communists. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Mysteries alright. MYSTERIES. Full review coming to filmbroadcaster.weebly.com Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews

WR: The Mysteries of the Organism

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