The Brakhage Lectures are a collection of avant-garde filmmaker Stan Brakhage's reflections on the techniques and contributions to cinematic evolution of four major directors-- Georges Melies, D W Griffith, Carl Dreyer and Sergei Eisenstein. It was first published in May 1972 at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where Brahkage taught and delivered these lectures (or rudimentary forms of what turned into these writings) during the fall and winter semesters of 1970-71. The book is 106 pages in length, 23 of which are taken up by reproductions of photographs and film stills. It includes a breif foreword written by the poet Robert Creeley.

Brakhage has produced a lot of writing, but most of it reflects upon own aesthetic process. Occasionally he turns his thought toward the work of his compatriots in the avant-garde-- as he does in FILM AT WIT'S END.

As a document of Brahkage's thoughts about the more tradition cinema, with which he had little to do, BRAKHAGE LECTURES is a fascinating artifact. Brakhage's Romantic construction of the genius of these filmmakers and his insistence upon finding meaning in the most minute details of their lives provides a more telling portrait of the author than of his four subjects. The various essays are also riddled with insightful obsvervations which demonstrate both Brakhage's knowledge of film history and the discourses which penetrate it. As a text on film theory, it is less relevant-- there are many better published works on all of these directors.

After plodding through Brakhage's "Metaphors on Vision" as well as "the Brakhage Scrapbook" during my research on this amazing filmmaker, I was thankful to find Brakhage's most interesting and significant writings collected into this single volume. It truly is the "essential brakhage." Personally, I don't really think that much of what else remains in those OTHER two volumes (all those difficult writings and collections of artist's notes and confounding letters full of puns)is worth the reading effort for most readers.

This book is interesting, though some obsevations which Brakhage makes seem either arbitrary or ludicrous. I enjoyed about every other chapter, because the material quickly grew redundant. Brakhage is interesting for a day, and then can easily be brushed aside. If you are looking for a confidence booster as a filmmaker or plain intellectual, than read this book by a so-called genius. It's simplicity will overwhelm you.