Cremaster 5 (1997)

Movie
Audience Score
59
Cremaster 5
NR 55 minOct 24th, 1997Music, DramaThe Cremaster Cycle PosterPart of The Cremaster Cycle
Cremaster 5 is a five-act opera (sung in Hungarian) set in late-ninteenth century Budapest. The last film in the series, Cremaster 5 represents the moment when the testicles are finally released and sexual differentiation is fully attained. The lamenting tone of the opera suggests that Barney invisions this as a moment of tragedy and loss. The primary character is the Queen of Chain (played by Ursula Andress). Barney, himself, plays three characters who appear in the mind of the Queen: her Diva, Magician, and Giant. The Magician is a stand-in for Harry Houdini, who was born in Budapest in 1874 and appears as a recurring character in the Cremaster cycle.
StarringUrsula AndressMatthew BarneyJoanne Rha
DirectorMatthew Barney
WriterMatthew Barney

Movie Details

Theatrical Release:October 24th, 1997
Original Language:Hungarian
Cremaster 5 on the Web:Official Website
Movie Tags:
short film

The Cremaster Cycle

The Cremaster Cycle is an art project consisting of five feature length films, together with related sculptures, photographs, drawings, and artist's books; it is the best-known work of American visual artist and filmmaker Matthew Barney. The Cremaster Cycle was made over a period of eight years (1994–2002) and culminated in a major museum exhibition organized by Nancy Spector of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, which traveled to the Museum Ludwig in Cologne and the Musée d'art Moderne in Paris from 2002-03. Barney's longtime collaborator Jonathan Bepler composed and arranged the soundtracks for the films.