Interim

For Janice Hubka it was the only cinematic experience. She would not play anymore. Walter Newcomb would play in other three or four movies of Brakhage, then he would give up, too. Here he's trying to be a bit of James Dean.

James Tenney scored the movie. Here his music has the delicacy of Erik Satie. A bit later Tenney would score Desistfilm, taking a definite harsh approach.

So, the first movie of Brakhage... About four hundred would follow.

There is a story here, but it's only the pretext. The movie builds a small Neo-Realist world and plays a little bit inside. That's all. Brakhage was 19 years old. Tenney was 18. It was 1952.

Prolific filmmaker Stan Brakhage had to start somewhere and that would be here with this relatively benign boy meets girl scenario with dark undertones. Far from the style that would make him famous it even includes a Lean homage (intentional?).

Two people meet under a bridge along side train tracks. They spend the dull looking day meandering about until they take shelter during a shower and embrace. They fail to connect however and eventually part.

Brakhages open ended approach to the story along with its harsh locale is greatly enhanced by James Tenney's dissonant music score the film itself a post War, atom age response for me to Paul Leni's buoyant Coney Island where optimism and energy reign with a pre-Depression happy ending between young strangers. His characters though clearly attracted to each other remain subdued nearly all the way and Brakahage gives the film a subtle suspense and uneasiness by way of it that plays out until the end.

As a student /independent work A well made first time out by all concerned.