Screen Tests
Three-part film centered around a film being made by a group of young directors. In the first a working-class girl finishes school and has her first love affair, which ends badly. In the second a provincial boy with dreams of life in the theater has an affair with his boss' wife. They meet during the film's screen tests.
Insights
Plot Summary
Andy Warhol's 'Screen Tests' are a series of short, silent, black-and-white films, primarily consisting of close-ups of his friends, lovers, and associates. These films capture individuals in moments of stillness, often looking directly into the camera, revealing their personality and presence. Each 'test' is a unique portrait, offering a glimpse into the vibrant and often unconventional world of Warhol's Factory.
Critical Reception
As experimental and avant-garde films, Warhol's 'Screen Tests' were not typically reviewed by mainstream critics in the traditional sense. Their reception has been largely within art house circles and film studies, appreciated for their artistic merit and historical significance as portraits of a specific cultural moment and figures within Warhol's orbit.
What Reviewers Say
- Captures the raw presence of its subjects.
- Offers an intimate and often disquieting glimpse into the faces of Warhol's Factory.
- An essential artifact of underground cinema and portraiture.
Google audience: Audience reception is difficult to gauge as these are niche experimental films, but those who appreciate Warhol's work often find the 'Screen Tests' to be fascinating studies of personality and a unique form of visual anthropology.
Fun Fact
Andy Warhol made over 500 'Screen Tests' between 1964 and 1966, and a selection of these were compiled and released in 1977.
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