WR: Mysteries of the Organism

The October, 1971 film WR: Mysteries of the Organism by Yugoslavian director Dusan Makavejev, borrows from Eisenstein's technique to create a film part documentary, part fiction - that is, follows in the footsteps of his early-twentieth-century Soviet filmmakers, with an added degree of honesty. Each is staged; each is propaganda; yet WR has the audacity and recognizes the benefit to increased forthrightness with the viewer. Unlike Godard's films of the era (as Jonathan Rosenbaum mentions in his essay), Makavejev's polemic admits to being just that - and transcends. Beautifully, I might add. I loved the film, and I felt challenged by it, and uncomfortable, and giddy, and moved. I'd like to read more about Wilhelm Reich and see more of Makavejev's films - and perhaps these are the signs of a certain kind of cinematic success: desire for more, questions left excitingly unanswered, introduced like opened doors, and the recognition that a new language and more time are required for the real exploration of such a film.