Rabbit's Moon

There are apparently two versions of this fairly poetic music video all done in mime (and as Anger says in the audio commentary it's indebted to the 'Comedia Dell'arte' in Italy as much as it's in France, the latter where he shot it in 1950), and I saw the one that Anger recut and put a new song to. I'd be curious to see the original version, or if there's more than one as it had doo-wop music and was less sped up. In the 7 minute 1979 version, it's sped up to about 20 frames per second (that's my best guess) so it's not so fast that it gets into Keystone Cops or something, but it's highly stylized.

As to what it's about... well, it's a clown having all of the emotions while under the moon at night. Then another clown comes and the song - It Came in the Night by A Raincoat, which is a ridiculously catchy and fun song that feels like a precursor (or just was part of) New Wave - replays itself. Poetic intent is the name of the game here, and Kenneth Anger wants to have this very sweet-somber-sad story about love being so far away in the moon and then when the other woman clown comes it's... I'm not sure.

Like a music video you can simply enjoy it as a series of shots that cut extremely well to music, which seems to me after seeing a few of his films the director's specialty, and the actor Andre Soubeyran is graceful and a wonderful actor. But having to look up the synopsis of what it's about after seeing it to know that it has a story and an arc is kind of frustrating. Beautiful look and feel, and I'm sure I'd watch it again simply for the technical achievement. Not as impactful as some of his other films, and yet it's still highly watchable and pleasurable as far as cinematography and editing go. 6.5/10

I have only seen the 7 minute version, so I may be missing out on a lot. Anyway, here is the rundown of events in "Rabbit's Moon". Somebody dressed in a clown suit is standing outside looking at the moon. A rabbit appears. Then a court jester appears and does a mime routine. Finally, a woman appears and does a terrible dance. The End.

Maybe I am just too stupid to understand the artistic integrity of this short. All I know is that it is boring and, in my humble opinion, a waste of celluloid and talent.

Kenneth Anger is among my personal favorite filmmakers. He's extremely underrated, influential, and clever-and has made many of the finest experimental movies of all time. "Rabbit's Moon" is definitely unlike the typical Anger film. While films liked "Scorpio Rising" and "Fireworks" depict strong violence and sexuality throughout, "Rabbit's Moon" is a lighthearted, almost comic fantasy short. It's beautifully made, the sets and cinematography are gorgeous (this is easily the most visually appealing Anger film that I've seen, because all of his other works look a lot cheaper), and it has a dreamlike and surreal mood throughout that really enhances its magic in my opinion. The film is weird, poetic, fun, stunning, and probably the only Kenneth Anger movie suitable for family viewing.

The short films of Kenneth Anger are certainly NOT for the casual film goer! The best way to describe them is avant-garde--and often make little sense, as they are not meant to be shown to the masses. Some are incredibly artistic--like filmed work of art. Some are really cheaply made and definitely look it. Regardless, they are a challenge to watch and I very strongly recommend you see them with his commentary activated. So why would I see these shorts? Well, in a recent interview I noticed that John Waters credits Anger for much of his inspiration. And, since I have seen all the films of Waters that are available (a couple very early ones aren't), it seems natural I'd give Anger's films a try. This and four other reviews are best on the DVD "Films of Kenneth Anger: Volume 1".

My summary above says 'finally' because after two extremely difficult to watch and rather amateurish shorts, this one represents something special--something that shows true artistry. While the story is still a bit on the vague side, from a purely artistic level this is a lovely film to see. It features Pierrot from the French version of La Comedia Dell'Arte and later you see a few other related characters, such as the woman of his dreams, Columbine. It's all quite strange but also strangely alluring. It really needs to be seen and not described, as this blue-tinted film is lovely and shows Anger's latent talents emerging. The only major deficit is the doo wop music which is quite distracting--and similar to the music that Waters used in one of his earliest films, MONDO TRASHO.

By the way, although I mentioned it above, use the commentary option. There is a lot of interesting stuff, including that the Japanese see the man in the Moon as a rabbit!

By the way, on the second DVD from this set, you see a 1979 version of the film as well. It's the same original film with every other frame removed (speeding it up) as well as a new sound track. I much prefer the original and give the new version a 6.

I love it! The music is wonderful. The symbolism and characters are awesome.

The story is about Pierrot trying to obtain the unattainable, the moon. He struggles to bring it to him but cannot. Harlequin appears to entertain Pierrot (sword play, juggling, and dance). Pierrot is distraught, so Harlequin summons his girlfriend, Columbine to help assess the situation. Columbine is a showy babe, Pierrot knows. She's useless as for getting the moon for Pierrot. Tired from a hard night's work and mishap, Pierrot gives up. All that in 7 minutes! It's pretty neat for that era of film.