The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes
Cast
No credited cast is listed for this film.
Credits
Cinematography: 
Stan Brakhage
Editing: Stan Brakhage
Plot
At a morgue, forensic pathologists conduct autopsies of the corpses assigned. "S. Brakhage, entering, WITH HIS CAMERA, one of the forbidden, terrific locations of our culture, the autopsy room. It is a place wherein, inversely, life is cherished, for it exists to affirm that no one of us may die without our knowing exactly why. All of us, in the person of the coroner, must see that, for ourselves, with our own eyes.
Sinekatalog’s take
Stan Brakhage films autopsies without commentary, forcing us to stare at what we usually avoid. It is graphic, wordless and deeply confrontational, intended as a meditation on mortality rather than shock. Only for strong stomachs and avant-garde devotees.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Ratings
IMDb: 6.9 / 10 (1,827 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.
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