Watch Venom and Eternity

"Venom and Eternity," also known by its original French title "Traité de bave et d'éternité," is a groundbreaking and influential film released in 1951, conceived and directed by avant-garde filmmaker Isidore Isou, who was also a writer, philosopher, and the founding figure of the Lettrist movement. This experimental work often polarizes audiences due to its unique approach to cinematic language and technique, as well as its unconventional narrative structure. This film, representative of the Lettrist movement, is not typically known for its star-studded cast or conventional storytelling, but rather for its radical departure from classical cinema norms.

The film is far more than a mere sequence of events or a narrative in the traditional sense. Instead, Isou uses the medium to present a thorough manifesto of his Lettrist philosophy, which involves a deep deconstruction of language and images. The Lettrist movement aimed to break down existing aesthetic barriers to seek new forms of artistic expression, and "Venom and Eternity" serves as one of the most poignant embodiments of such an aim.

Isidore Isou stars as a version of himself, a character named Daniel who is a young avant-garde artist with fervent ideas about the nature of art, especially the art of cinema. In the film, he proposes a complete overhaul of film theory and practice, which he refers to as "discrepant cinema," a concept revolving around the deliberate disruption and destruction of visual and auditory harmony. Through his character, Isou posits that the disassociation of sound and image can lead to a purer form of artistic expression that surpasses the conventional coherence expected in film.

Jean-Louis Barrault, a renowned French actor of the time, and Blanchette Brunoy, a likewise respected actress, are credited in the film, more as a symbolic act to link it to the wider French cinematic tradition than as key players in the traditional sense. The film does not feature Barrault and Brunoy in their usual capacity as performers; rather, they are evoked in the narration and conceptually as part of Isou's critique and transformation of cinema.

"Venom and Eternity" unfolds as an essayistic, pseudo-documentary exploration of Isou's theories, rather than a story-driven film. It incorporates various elements including live-action footage, animation, still photography, and painting, often presented in a disjointed manner that seems to intentionally bewilder or provoke the viewer. Scratches on the celluloid, sequences played in reverse, erratic jump cuts, and long periods of black screen accompanied by voiceover or dialogue further emphasize the film's fragmentation and revolutionary approach.

The soundtrack of the film is equally as radical as its visuals. Isou uses disjointed poetry, classical music, and cacophonous noise—all mismatched with the imagery—to further articulate his creative ethos. His narrative is not only a critique of established cinema but also a broader comment on post-World War II society, challenging viewers to rethink how meaning and aesthetic value are constructed, and how they could be reconstructed.

Although at the time of its release, "Venom and Eternity" was met with varying levels of confusion, disapproval, or outright outrage, it has since been acknowledged as an important work in the history of avant-garde cinema and a precursor to various subsequent experimental movements. In the film, Isou suggests that the poetic potential of cinema lies beyond the narrative and visual coherence that the medium had been tied to since its inception. His dismissal of traditional narrative and visual pleasure seeks to engage the audience in a more intellectually and emotionally complex way, thereby demanding that viewers reevaluate their role in the cinematic experience.

"Venom and Eternity" remains a touchstone for those interested in the avant-garde, experimental cinema, and the broad sweep of film history. As such, it is perhaps best appreciated by those with a specific interest in the evolution of film as an art form and the radical theories that have sometimes propelled that evolution forward. Its significance lies not necessarily in its traditional entertainment value but rather in its challenge to the viewer, its bold reimagining of what film can be, and its incubation of techniques that would later be echoed in the works of future avant-garde filmmakers.