Begotten (1989)
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67% of critics liked it
(6 reviews) -
66% of users liked it
(5,571 ratings)
BEGOTTEN is the creation myth brought to life, the story of no less than the violent death of God and the (re)birth of nature on a barren earth. Astounding and baffling critics and audiences alike, BEGOTTEN was named one of the Ten Best Pictures of 1991 by Time Magazine. Time's Richard Corliss… More BEGOTTEN is the creation myth brought to life, the story of no less than the violent death of God and the (re)birth of nature on a barren earth. Astounding and baffling critics and audiences alike, BEGOTTEN was named one of the Ten Best Pictures of 1991 by Time Magazine. Time's Richard Corliss wrote: "Nobody will get through BEGOTTEN without being marked... BEGOTTEN is a spectacular one-of-a-kind (you wouldn't want there to be two), filmed in speckled chiaroscuro so that each image is a seductive mystery, a Rorschach test for the adventurous eye." In production notes for the film, director Merhige commented, "Each shot in the film went through hours of preparation to achieve the look you will experience when viewing... the etheral "pulse" that hypnotically permeates the film. It took over ten hours to re-photograph less than one minute of selected takes." The BEGOTTEN DVD special features include: a souvenir booklet; interactive menus; scene access; the original theatrical trailer; and rare, never-before-seen stills and color production photos. USA, 1991, 78 mins., black & white, digital sound, full format. Unrated. Suggested retail $29.95.
- Rating, Runtime
- Unrated, 1 hr. 18 min.
- Directed By
- E. Elias Merhige
- Genres
- Drama, Horror, Art House & International, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Cult Movies
- In Theaters
- Jan 1, 1989 Wide
- On DVD
- Feb 20, 2001
Critic Reviews
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Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Plays too much like an earnest repertory-theater group going through various bizarro configurations.
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Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com
A passion play that wavers between amateur-hour incompetence and an undeniable directorial vision.
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Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies
I have said 'I have never seen anything like it' about other films, but it has never applied to something so entirely alien as this.
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Phil Hall, Wired
Brilliant experimental feature, truly shocking and original.
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