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23rd Psalm Branch: Part II

23rd Psalm Branch: Part II

1967

Director

Stan Brakhage

Runtime

31 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

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.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

1.1/10

Minimal


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film lacks character-based identity or queer subtext. It focuses on landscape and texture rather than interpersonal dynamics.

Gender Representation

Minimal

The work lacks a character-driven narrative. It does not engage with or subvert gender hierarchies through agency or role assignment.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Minimal

The visual focus remains on geographical locations like Vienna and Colorado. There is no evidence of a cast to assess racial diversity.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Fair

The film contrasts European urbanism with American domesticity. This use of non-linear editing serves to deconstruct the standard Western cinematic gaze.

Disability Representation

Minimal

No characters or depictions of neurodivergence or physical disability are identified in the film.

Strengths

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

Areas for Improvement

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

AI Analysis

Stan Brakhage’s experimental short functions through semiotic abstraction rather than social portraiture. Because 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 intersectionality or social identities. Instead, it challenges the traditional architecture 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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