For me trying to interpret Kenneth Angers Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome will just end in confusion. I’m not familiar with most of the mythic characters within the film, and can only begin to understand the film’s point. That’s not to say I wasn’t entertained with Pleasure Dome’s trippy editing techniques, its provocative content and use of fantastical color. I can’t help but think the film is about mind altering substances- whether it be drugs, or alcohol- and their affects on identity and being. Without the knowledge of Alexander Crowley’s work of which this film is apparently based, I don’t think I could come to any other conclusion. To put it mildly, the visuals of this film are bizarre. The colors are plucked some kind of LSD induced dream. They are bright, neon, and I could never tell where they were coming from. The backgrounds of the film are mostly black sheets, although sometimes their dreamy landscapes. My main problem with the film was its running time. Toward the end, the characters seemed to be repeating actions, which made for a weird viewing experience. The visuals and editing were always in flux, but it seemed that the plot was going nowhere.