Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome - Kenneth Anger

This colorful avant-garde film is a visual onslaught of various cultural gods, goddesses and pagan rituals. Being familiar with the work of Aleister Crowley, eastern religions,and Greek mythology I recognized the various deities and the mythology behind the ritual. I will not even attempt to interpret the meaning of this film, suffice it to say it alludes to a ceremony/ritual involving (and I am only guessing) Vishnu, Kali, Pan, Hecate, etc... and from Caligori's cabinet the Sonnambulist in some sort of dionysian ritual that Crowley has put together. The 60's counter culture fascination with occultism, sexuality and hallucinogenic drugs really shines through. On the topic of trance film moving towards mytheopoetic film, Angers film definitely makes a statement. In Maya Deren's, Ritual in Transfigured Time, mythical representations of the Greeks, ie. Fates, Muses, etc...are more toned down but I believe the idea is similar. Both have tendencies toward those more natural, pagan, witchcraft religions. Whether it be Voodoo or Crowley, the underlying idea is similar through ritual you can become like the gods, imbued with powers and understanding of change and nature. I believe these ideas like dreams, are difficult to make tangible and these films are attempting to express the artist perception of the nature of reality.