Jun. 05, 1991|United States|72 Min.|Unrated
Genre: Fantasy;Horror;Violence(Slasher)
Description: Begotten, released in 1991, is a film with a deeply symbolic and surreal narrative. The story begins with a shrouded figure referred to as “God Killing Himself,” who takes his own life by disemboweling himself with a straight razor. After his death, his mutilated remains give rise to a woman known as Mother Earth. She uses his semen to impregnate herself and later gives birth to the Son of Earth, a malformed and convulsive man. Left to wander alone, the Son of Earth eventually encounters a group of faceless nomads who capture and torture him.
After being burned to death by the nomads, the Son of Earth is resurrected by Mother Earth, and they continue their journey together. However, the nomads return, attacking and ultimately raping and murdering Mother Earth while her son watches helplessly. Following her death, a group of robed figures dismember both Mother Earth and her son, burying their remains in the earth. Over time, the burial site transforms into a flourishing patch of flowers.
The film concludes with grainy images of God Killing Himself and a flashback of Mother Earth and her son wandering through a forest. Begotten is a haunting and abstract exploration of themes such as creation, destruction, and rebirth.
Cast director: E. Elias Merhige
Cast actor: Brian Salzberg, Donna Dempsey, Stephen Charles Barry, James Gandia
Original name: Begotten