Barry White Video:

		List Price: $29.95		Label: World Artists Salesrank: 86411 Released: February 20, 2001
		Our Price: $712.00
		Used Price: $91.52
		MPAA Rating: Unrated Media: DVD

Editorial Review:
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. Astounding and baffling critics and audiences alike, BEGOTTEN was named one of the Ten Best Pictures of 1991 by Time Magazine. Time's Richard Corliss wrote: "Nobody will get through BEGOTTEN without being marked... BEGOTTEN is a spectacular one-of-a-kind (you wouldn't want there to be two), filmed in speckled chiaroscuro so that each image is a seductive mystery, a Rorschach test for the adventurous eye." In production notes for the film, director Merhige commented, "Each shot in the film went through hours of preparation to achieve the look you will experience when viewing... the etheral "pulse" that hypnotically permeates the film. It took over ten hours to re-photograph less than one minute of selected takes."

The BEGOTTEN DVD special features include: a souvenir booklet; interactive menus; scene access; the original theatrical trailer; and rare, never-before-seen stills and color production photos. USA, 1991, 78 mins., black & white, digital sound, full format. Unrated. Suggested retail $29.95.

Begotten Reviews:
fever dream brought to life.
2009-10-23 - This film has a very Jungian, collective unconscious feel to it. My really bad dreams have always tended to be very boundless and unfathomable in nature. This film has that feel to it from frame one where you feel as if you have come across hell and what it actually might resemble, were such a thing to actually exist. This film comes from the depths of a human mind that is very in tune to the subconscious. As a result the film has a mythological and horrific truth to the imagery that would certainly illicit some sort of uncomfortable response form almost anyone. This is a film to be experienced. It falls in the horror genre but also has a mythological/fantasy feel to it.

While I could go into a huge multi-tiered review about the much alluded to meaning of this film, I'm not going to bother. I'd rather not take away from anyone's experience with my personal view. There are many other good reviews here that discuss this too.

Enjoy.

Rorschach on film
2009-08-23 - The "Begotten" (1991) is directed by E.Elias Merhige (Shadow of the Vampire). It is something that I imagine Rorschach would have made if he had directed movies. This film is image after image of high contrast depictions that read like solarized images, negative images, that seem to flip back and forth, becoming almost like an ink blot where the imagination begins to take over. Influenced by early black and white films like "Nosferatu" it refers to the dark side of imagination. What is begot is the birth of imagination in this primordial land of primitive fears.

This film comes as close to a visually abstract film as I have ever seen.

Strange, creepy, disturbing, unique and extremely intellegent...
2009-08-13 - I was lucky enough to get a copy of Begotten on DVD when it was still in print. The price is extremely high now, if you can even find a copy. This film is not for everyone. I would recommend it for those who appreciate unusual forms of art.

Poetic horror at its most disturbingly wretched
2008-12-29 - ___________________________________

Finally. I watched it.
3 times actually, within 24hours.
Still this is a difficult film to describe.
Begotten is simply an experience one must try to absorb.

It deals with the metaphysical. God-Nature-Life-Death.
A distorted experiment
that will no doubt cause mixed reactions.
It's like stepping into another dimension.
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When using the belief of God as a moral barometer, it's scary to think of the aftermath when that idea is completely annihilated. It might result in the stripping of the universal perspective on things, abolish any shred of hope, just vanquish all meaning and value in people's lives--just total anarchy.

That foreboding sense of gloom resonates throughout every inch of this mindbender. Right at the start, God slices himself with a razor. A bloody substance purges from his abdomen, and soon a spirit-like Mother Earth emerges from the disembowelment.
This dizzying journey then ventures across a desolate landscape. There are demonic figures and some shadowy depictions of rape, torture, and cannibalism. Lots of powerful, alarming imagery that is somewhat indecipherable. Imagine looking at hell through a dirty glass ashtray. You can't always tell exactly what's going on, but you know it's not good. Powerful stuff.

This murky view was by no means an accident. There was some extremely tedious prep work during the production--the film was shot in B&W reversal and then rephotographed. You get a ragged copy of a copy. It gives a very hallucinogenic, surreal feel.

This look will most likely alienate many viewers (along with the violent subject matter). I liken this film to an ink blot test. Some will see absolutely nothing, while others will formulate distinctive ideas and conclusions. It's highly subjective.

There is no dialogue or not really much splatter gore here. Plus the sound is supremely odd--just distorted noises of nature (wind, water, birds, rustling leaves, heavy breathing). It all adds up to a mesmerizing, horrifying, bewildering, unique, and unforgettable ride. People are bound to take vastly different things from this experience. That's the beauty of art.

___________________________________

1991
78 minutes
From Brazil
A vision from E. Elias Merhige
who also directed Shadow of the Vampire


Quite possibly the best experimental film of all time.
2008-09-04 - This movie is dark, scary, disturbing, symbolic, slow and beautiful. I had told people about this movie and very few of them had heard about it. it just so happend my guitar player had a copy of this film and gave it to me. When I saw it I was completley blown away. I can't really describe to you the plot of the movie because there really isn't one. It is just this big symbolic message captured in 78 minutes. The whole movie is filmed in grainy black and white which gives it more of an eerie, surreal feeling as if you were watching someone's nightmare. This movie is not nesecarily entertaining but yet you will keep staring at the screen for it's puzzeling meaning. The movie leaves you with questions which will all go unanswerd. This movie is not for everybody since it does have some very ghastly scenes in the movie. The first 10 minutes we see a robed feminist figure being God who is disembowling himself with a straight razor and blodd splatters all over the wall and room. There is Also Mother Earth who impregnates herself with God's sperm and gives birth to Son of Earth - Flesh On Bone. Within these 3 charachters you will see alot of suffering and there is even a rape scene of Mother Earth. This movie is probably in my top 5 or 10 of favorite films. This is definetly an experience to witness and once you watch it you will never forget what you just saw. I feel when I watched the movie I was greatly rewarded. In some scenes since it's all black and white and very grainy there are images on the screen which you can't quite make out what you are looking at and that is part of the beauty of the film. To me I see this movie as a riddle. Why does this happen. Some people might write this off as meaningless artsy fartsy trash but I believe Elias was trying to tell us something when he came up with this vision. This film is based on a near death experience he had when he was 19 so if this is what he saw while he was almost about to die or if this came to him after the experience it really makes me think. This movie get's compared alot to Eraserhead, another one of my favorites. if you thought Eraserhead was disturbing then you really need to experience Begotten since this is way different. there is absolutley no dialogue in the movie whih is a big plus. I feel if there was any dialogue it would ruin the film. I can't recomend this film to everyone but if you're into very surreal art films and can handle disturbing art then watch Begotten. You will definetly be marked.