First of all, I went into this with preconceived notions because of the Ebert battle. From the first shot of the motorcycle race, I thought it was going to be awful. Then I got involved and found it dreamlike and sad. I would be interested in seeing the full version from Cannes, because I thought that the scene in the salt-roads (which Ebert complained about being too long) was capitvating. I do, however, think that the graphic sex brings the viewer out of the movie and into another realm. What goes from a dream-like experience becomes "my God, is that real, is she really doing that?" I became aware that I was watching a movie and that it was uncomfortable to watch such a graphically filmed scene. I do not think that it needed to be so graphic. The shots that Gallo intercutted, which were not as graphic, were just as effective. That said, I am still a fan of Gallo's film-making. He is original, and I suspect he will remain that way.
Review of The Brown Bunny
