Begotten effectively combines several usually distinct traditions in alternative cinema. First, it is in the tradition of the psychodrama and visionary cinema. As Mother Nature struggles through one bleak landscape after another, she becomes a projection of both filmmaker and viewer mythically coming to grips with the stern realities of life. Begotten is also closely related to Viennese "actionism" and "materialactionfilms." Mother Nature is immersed in material substances, as she drags herself and is dragged by others through Merhige's nightmare world. Finally, Begotten is in the tradition of films that explore the materiality of the filmstrip. In general, Begotten hovers between traditions, creating an ambiguous experience that challenges viewers' sense of decency, their ability to understand, and their patience-while simultaneously providing both narrative fascination and sensual engagement with the film's remarkable chiaroscuro.-Scott MacDonald