Brand Upon the Brain (Guy Maddin, 2006)

Brand Upon the Brain (Guy Maddin, 2006)
Rating: 9.7

Simply put; a mind blowing experience. The film is furiously edited in the style of the Russian montage filmmakers using super 8mm images mixed with a wonderful score, imaginative story, and fascinating characters. Although Brand Upon the Brain is essentially a silent film, it includes voice over narration by Isabella Rossellini, foley SFX, and even an ADR musical number are added in post production making for an interesting blend. The film traces the childhood memories of Guy who lives on an island with his controlling and raging mother, mysterious mad scientist father, and his promiscuous sister. SECRETS, SECRETS, SECRETS, loom throughout as it is discovered the orphanage his parents run is being used as a twisted brain nectar harvesting laboratory. A bizarre love triangle also unfold when Wendy, a celebrity teen detective appears on the island. Maddin explores sexual androgyny and bisexuality as Wendy disguises herself as her brother Chance. Interestingly enough both Guy and his sister fall in love with both Wendy and Chance. The pacing of the film is incredibly frantic and enthralling. It's hard to compare to anything else other than Guy Maddin's other films, although I think this could possibly be his best work to date.