The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (1971)

At a morgue, forensic pathologists conduct autopsies of the corpses assigned.

Director:

Stan Brakhage (as Brakhage)

Storyline

Forensic pathologists perform autopsies. The first two consist of examination, measurement, and checking muscles. The remaining ones involve cutting away bone to expose and examine internal organs, peeling back skin and muscle, removing organs, using syringes to extract bodily fluids, and cutting pieces of tissue. Clothes are inventoried. As each autopsy ends, bodies are covered with sheets. There is no soundtrack. We see a body with extensive burns. The work is sometimes delicate, sometimes not; but it's always gory so be warned.

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Plot Keywords:

autopsy | body | pathologist | forensics | bodily fluids | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Short | Horror

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Also Known As:

Наблюдение собственными глазами

Filming Locations:

Allegheny County Coroner's Office - 542 Fourth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

32 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The title is the literal translation of the greek word "autopsia", i.e. autopsy (from 'auto'=self and 'opsis'=sight).

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Connections

Referenced in South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999)

User Reviews

Visualization to the next level.

This 30 minute documentary on three human autopsies is one of the most disturbing yet intruiging things that I have ever seen on film. If you can imagine it, they show it. Everything but the corpses faces are shown. But I am willing to bet that if Brakhage was allowed to show the faces he would have. This movie delves into the idea of human curiosity and vision like never done before. A thinker.