Cremaster 3: The Order (2002)

It's not often that someone with artistic sensibilities as radical as director Matthew Barney's gets to make a movie that appears this well-financed. "The Order" not only kept my attention, it kept me thinking. Above all, I think it is a fun movie to watch.Vivid, well-chosen colors--blues, pinks, shimmering silvers and creamy whites--bleed from the screen in what is an avante garde narrative about "The Entered Apprentice" [played by director/artist Matthew Barney] and his encounters on various levels inside a large building [which is actually the Guggenheim transformed by Barney into a representation of the "The Temple of Solomon"]. The movie's website goes into more detail about the plot and characters than could be done here; what should be emphasized, though, is the sheer watch-ability of this. Many avant garde films become tiresome, frustrating, or just plain boring. Barney's "The Order" manages to avoid this. In some respects, it's like watching a video game; other parts put one in the mind of the movie "The Cell," David Lynch, Luis Bunuel, or even some of director Andrew Blake's more lavish and recent x-rated films (though this is by no means x-rated, containing only topless nudity and no sex). If nothing else, "The Order" is enchanting eye candy--like having a richly detailed and colorful work of post modernist art unravel on your television screen.I haven't seen any of the Cremaster Cycle movies. "The Order" is an excerpt from Cremaster 3, which apparently is the most enjoyable of the 5 movies that comprise the series, according to most reviews I've read. The DVD features a "film version" of "The Order," which is just a straight-up narrative; or one can choose between 5 or 6 "scenes," which are individually longer than the scenes watched back-to-back in the "film version." As well, when watching individual scenes one can use a menu in the lower right hand corner of the screen to navigate the video so that one can see what's happening concurrently on various levels of the structure the Entered Apprentice is navigating.Before reading what "The Order" was really about--Masonic initiation rites and the Temple of Solomon--I thought I had it all figured out myself. To be honest, I still prefer my interpretation, and found the real story behind it to be a disappointment. Masonic initiation rites--well, that disappointed me. In my own head, I worked out the story as as being about The Entered Apprentice--that is, Matthew Barney-- attempting to ascend through various phases of his life, perhaps reflecting a life growing up in New York City [but later this interpretation was proven wrong when I found out Barney is actually from Boise, Idaho!].The first level, "The Order of the Rainbow for Girls," shows Barney amidst what looks like a parody of radio City Music Hall's Rockettes, but dressed as cartoonish lambs. The playfulness here could represent childhood. Barney--sorry, The Entered Apprentice--then ascends to the next level, where he finds two New York City hardcore bands, Agnostic Front and Murphy's Law, dueling with each other by playing the opening riffs of their songs at one another. There's a circle pit in the middle; in the middle of this are several tools Barney must extract from the ground. This level could represent his teenage years, I thought. That's mostly who seem to be in the audience here--teens.Barney goes up another level and encounters paralympics gold medalist Aimee Mullins using what look like glass prosthetic legs.Barney transforms into a kind of butcher-looking figure grotesquely distorted, again making one feel as if one is watching an outtake from "The Cell" or maybe a snippet from a particularly well-financed Marilyn Manson video [which is not a slam against the movie; let's be honest, it does look a bit like a music video in some parts]. In my brain, which was still trying to figure out what was going on, I thought this could have represented finding true love, getting married, etc. The woman turns on Barney, bites him, and changes into a dangerous she-cat. The two fly out into the air in combat. Eventually Barney must get the tools from the circle pit and come back to kill her.Alas, I realized my interpretation of the movie was incorrect when I researched the film further. Oh well. At least it gets one thinking analytically.If you're into hardcore punk, you should get, or at least rent, the movie just to see the unexpected appearances of Agnostic Front and Murphy's Law. I was blown away to find these two tough guy, thugcore-ish bands appearing in this, an outre, surrealist movie. Watching the two bands swivel on their podiums in the intro got a chuckle out of me. Some of the "extras" on the DVD include 6 songs from each band.Apparently the full Cremaster series is supposed to be released on DVD "soon." However, I'll probably this, as I'm a fan of experimental cinema, and, as I've said before, I simply found this a fun movie to watch. I wouldn't say that "The Order" alone is up there with Luis Bunuel or Alejandro Jodorwosky, but as spectacle I can think of nothing like it I've seen that quite measures up in recent years.

I thought of a few things while watching "The Cremaster" cycle by super-star artist Matthew Barney. However, through the druggery and slow moving death that was Cremaster, all of those things were forgotten. But, I did learn a very important lesson. The lesson is this:With enough money you can do anything, be it winning the presidency or simpley becoming a famous artist. Either way in the end you're going to turn out horrible.

I did enjoy this piece of work but I am still baffled by one element. That would be how to work the rest of the DVD. I've read many reviews, most agreeing that it's puzzling, but none have helped me find the way.I watched the 30 minute main part but I can't for the life of me figure out how to work the rest. I would greatly appreciate any help.

Beautiful, strange, hilarious, moving, cryptic, amazing: what more can I say about this? Matthew Barney is a genius, and this is a great introduction to the whole cycle.The DVD interface *is* confusing. The "multiangle" feature shows you what is going on (in "real" time) on each level throughout, once the Apprentice has climbed to the first level. So, pick a level from the opening screen and choose "Start". You won't see the individual "degree" intros, but you will see the showgirls introduce the Apprentice. Pressing the "angle" button on your DVD player remote won't do anything until the apprentice reaches level 1 and encounters the tap-dancing lamb-women. Then, you'll get the Cremaster field symbol in the lower right corner of the screen with regions for the different levels--choose the one you want to go to, then enjoy! What you see is what the different characters are doing on each level throughout. The "film version" intersects at various points but otherwise you do get things you don't see and hear in the regular "film version." So it's not a true multiangle feature like on other DVDs--you can't select different angles for different scenes--but I think it's even more interesting the way it is. I especially like the action on level 2 (with the punk bands playing acoustic) and level 3 (Aimee Mullins pacing her turf and later being cheetah-like), okay and level 5 with Richard Serra throwing hot vaseline. You can follow what is going on at each level by the thumbnail movies in the Cremaster field symbol and switch from level to level at will.The director's commentary was harder for me to figure out how to access: using the onscreen interface didn't work for me, but I eventually found it using the sound option on the remote. It is surprisingly dry and factual: merely a summary of the various characters and symbols, with no amusing anecdotes about what must have been an interesting production. And not a trace of the humor that runs through Barney's art! But I guess he has to keep a dead pan over all of this for it to work.

i went to New York to see the show at the Guggenheim. i saw all the films & it was great! I was excited learn 3 was on dvd, & i purchased it here. The product details claims that it has a running time of 240 minutes, but this is not true. in reality, i was duped out of $20, for what boils down to a 30 minute trailer. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. Wait until they release them, IN FULL LENGTH, because they are worth having.This is not what you want.

L'univers esthétique timbré et magnifique de Matthew Barney vous scotche tant vous ne croyez pas ce que vous venez de voir. Mode de lecture très simple : on entre dans sa bulle ou pas. Sans parler de la palette de guest star qui ne prouve qu'une chose : à savoir que cet artiste est crédible. Le tour de ce Cremaster n'a pas de fin tant il est riche de connexions entre chacune des cinq parties du cycle, de citations freudiennes poussées, de rencontres avec le monde. Etant plasticien, Matthew Barney est une de mes références scientifiques, si si je vous assure...