Guy Maddin’s feature; Brand Upon the Brain; may well be his best. Maddin buffs will be reminded of Tales of Gimli Hospital; due to its horrific; slanted comedy; yet this film delves poetically into this auteur’s autobiography. Brand Upon the Brain is constructed in black and white with Maddin’s unique blend of old-fashioned and modernist filmic styles and techniques; yet what is most wonderful is the plot’s melding of fantasy and reality. Broken up into sections marked by title cards recalling silent films; the film takes place on a Canadian island called Black Notch; where protagonist; Guy (Erik Steffan Maahs as old Maddin; Sullivan Brown as boy Maddin); is raised under the thumb of his controlling mother (Gretchen Krich) who is managing an orphanage. Unfolding in chapters such as "Memory Floods Back;" "Background;" and "Dark Schedules;" Brand Upon the Brain tackles issues of homosexual awakening in a pious environment; cross-dressing; sibling rivalry; youthful lust; escapism’s role in the development of artistic imagination; plus many darker topics that will thrill viewers ready for the macabre. In Chapter Six; garments are fetishistically removed with "Undressing Gloves"; linking childhood play and adult desire. Maddin’s childhood acquaintances; like bully Savage Tom (Andrew Loviska); and crush Wendy Hale who morphs into a boy called Chance with a simple haircut (Katherine Scharhon) underscore the director’s love of carnivalesque characters. Smears of Vaseline on the camera lens; quavering shots that look hand-rendered; quick-cut editing; and sets alongside costuming lend the film an over-the-top nostalgia that borders on camp. This adds to the absurdist tale an historicism that convinces the viewer of this story’s truth; though it is clearly fictionalized. In fact; the extras contain a mini-documentary interview with Maddin; in which he describes the roughly two-percent of the film that actually occurred. Also notable is the audio format experimentation. Having once toured live as a silent film narrated by various artists in person; the DVD contains narration from Maddin’s point of view in several different voices; such as Isabella Rossellini; Laurie Anderson; and John Ashbery. One can select whose voice they want to serve as Maddin’s stand-in; which is jarringly strange. The short films; "It’s My Mother’s Birthday Today;" and "Footsteps;" about the sound effects company who contribute greatly to the hazy; atmospherics; are also excellent. It is so lovely to see such an individualist gain recognition through Criterion Collection; as this will hopefully expose more viewers to this stridently independent artist. —Trinie Dalton