- Also Known As:
 - Let’s Have a Brainwash
 - Year:
 - 1962
 - Countries:
 - Predominant Genre:
 - Comedy
 - Directors:
 - Jean-Luc Godard; Ugo Gregoretti; Pier Paolo Pasolini; Roberto Rossellini
 - Outstanding Performances:
 - Rosanna Schiaffino; Alexandra Stewart; Orson Welles; Ugo Tognazzi
 - Premiss:
 - Four short films by different directors.
 - Themes:
 - Christianity
 - Communism
 - Emotional repression
 - Mankind
 - Materialism
 - Narcissism
 - Pornography
 - Sexism
 - Sexual Repression
 - Snobbery
 - Solipsism
 - Stereotyping
 - White culture
 - White guilt
 - White supremacy
 - Similar (in Plot, Theme or Style) to:
 - Unknown
 - Review Format:
 - DVD
 
[Let’s Have a Brainwash]
As usual with portmanteau films, this is something of a mixed blessing.
Essentially preoccupied with praising Communism and attacking sexism, mediocrity & the Catholic Church, this movie makes its points well – especially in the final segment – but descends into rhetorical ideology and formalistic denunciations of both materialism and Christianity.
These attacks leave no room for characterization and basic human warmth from the performers - who are merely required to mouthe the lines rather than make them come alive. Even worse given the quality on offer, particularly Rosanna Schiaffino, Alexandra Stewart, Orson Welles & Ugo Tognazzi.
Man is the subject of this film, not any particular man, hence the sacrilegious section on the Passion that so upset an overly sensitive Vatican - it shows Christ as more human than divine.


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