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23rd Psalm Branch: Part II

Name: 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II
Director: Stan Brakhage
Released: 1967
Duration: 31 min

Representation Score

0.6/10

Minimal

1967

Director

Stan Brakhage

Runtime

31 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Stan Brakhage’s experimental short functions through symbolic abstraction rather than social portraiture. Since the film prioritizes rhythmic editing and abstract imagery over character-driven dialogue, traditional metrics of representation like the Bechdel test are largely inapplicable. The work does not aim to navigate human the way different parts of someone's identity overlap or social identities. Instead, it challenges the traditional structure of cinema through formalist experimentation. While the film scores low on standard diversity metrics, its rejection of Hollywood continuity and conventional storytelling disrupts mainstream, commercialized media structures.

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Category Breakdown

Does 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not explore LGBTQ identities or subtexts. It focuses more on landscapes and textures rather than interpersonal relationships.

How does 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II portray gender?

Minimal

The film does not have a character-driven narrative. It does not engage with or challenge gender hierarchies through roles or ability to act.

How racially and ethnically diverse is 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II?

Minimal

The visual focus is on geographical locations such as Vienna and Colorado. There is no cast to assess racial diversity.

How does 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II represent religion and culture?

Fair

The film contrasts European urban settings with American domestic life. Non-linear editing is used to deconstruct the typical Western cinematic perspective.

Does 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no characters or depictions of neurodivergence or physical disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Disrupts conventional Western modes of visual consumption and storytelling.
Challenges traditional cinematic structures through subjective perception and abstraction.

Limited or Absent

Lacks character-driven narratives to engage with social or identity-based themes.
Does not provide a platform for assessing racial, gender, or disability representation.

Official Synopsis

The second part: Brakhage’s layering of images spends less time with images of war, and begins filtering in scenes of Vienna and his home in Colorado. He sets up a comparison between “Kubelka’s Vienna” and his own.

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