Andy Warhol's experimental film "Eat" is all about a man eating mushrooms in its almost 40 minutes of projection, only interrupting such act to joyfully play with a cat and have some deep inner thoughts which the audience must imagine since there's no dialogs whatsoever and silent above all. This is another fascinating experiment coming from the same artist who made us watch a man sleep, another getting a hum job, and couples kissing, among other precious works. Boring to some, futile to others, or amazing to few fortunate viewers, "Eat" is just what it proposes and nothing more, and that's why it is quite a good film.
What Warhol gives us, other than the just an almost frozen image of a man sitting eating mushrooms, is the imagination, it's the small details, it's trying to figure out what this man is thinking and each viewer will create his/her own conclusions. And the director couldn't find a better actor for the job. The man eating the mushroom is played by Robert Indiana, a very expressive figure who sadly only appeared in this short film, but he makes an impressive acting. Take a look at his facial expressions while eating, staring at the camera for brief moments, his love for the cat that suddenly appears on his side, and his genuine and affective smile that reveals a true joy that unfortunate it might be invisible to us. Is he smiling because someone told him to? Is he seeing something funny we cannot see? Or eating mushrooms cause such sensation? I don't know. What I do know is that he's perfect for the role and he's born under my star sign, one of the most patient signs of all (if not the most), Virgo and be patient to perform in something like this is completely necessary, not very easy to do. One could get easily distracted, bored in just sitting in front of a camera and keep on eating something for more than half an hour. I wouldn't be shocked if viewers find "Eat" a boring film. But no, Indiana has Job's patience, moving a few times and enjoying himself.
If you're open to real yet unusual film experiences and don't mind to focus your attention on a men eating, "Eat" is a good way to know about Warhol's underground films. I'm only rating this lower than "Blow Job" because that was a more challengeable film while this was almost like an exercise, presenting us an simple act extended to a long period. 7/10
What Warhol gives us, other than the just an almost frozen image of a man sitting eating mushrooms, is the imagination, it's the small details, it's trying to figure out what this man is thinking and each viewer will create his/her own conclusions. And the director couldn't find a better actor for the job. The man eating the mushroom is played by Robert Indiana, a very expressive figure who sadly only appeared in this short film, but he makes an impressive acting. Take a look at his facial expressions while eating, staring at the camera for brief moments, his love for the cat that suddenly appears on his side, and his genuine and affective smile that reveals a true joy that unfortunate it might be invisible to us. Is he smiling because someone told him to? Is he seeing something funny we cannot see? Or eating mushrooms cause such sensation? I don't know. What I do know is that he's perfect for the role and he's born under my star sign, one of the most patient signs of all (if not the most), Virgo and be patient to perform in something like this is completely necessary, not very easy to do. One could get easily distracted, bored in just sitting in front of a camera and keep on eating something for more than half an hour. I wouldn't be shocked if viewers find "Eat" a boring film. But no, Indiana has Job's patience, moving a few times and enjoying himself.
If you're open to real yet unusual film experiences and don't mind to focus your attention on a men eating, "Eat" is a good way to know about Warhol's underground films. I'm only rating this lower than "Blow Job" because that was a more challengeable film while this was almost like an exercise, presenting us an simple act extended to a long period. 7/10