Filmmaker and Author Kenneth Anger Dies at 96
Filmmaker and author Kenneth Anger passed away at the age of 96 on May 11, 2023, due to natural causes. His death was reported on May 24 by the Sprüth Magers gallery, which represented his work since 2009. Anger was a legendary Hollywood character, known for making pioneering underground movies and his fascination with the occult, which was often explored in his work.
Legacy of Kenneth Anger
As a child actor, Anger was part of the ensemble cast in the 1935 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. However, it was his controversial short film, Fireworks, that got him arrested for obscenity in 1947. The film did not feature any dialogue and showcased men flexing for each other in a bar, lighting cigarettes with flaming bouquets of flowers, and engaging in surreal sadomasochistic activities. Despite its initial controversy, Fireworks and Anger’s other experimental movies have since been hailed as counterculture classics.
Anger was notorious for his fascination with the occult, which he explored in many of his films. One of his most famous films, Scorpio Rising, mixed imagery of a biker gang with occult symbolism and music by Elvis Presley and Ray Charles. Similarly, Anger’s book, Hollywood Babylon, was known for its salacious and debunked stories about the scandalous behavior of famous Hollywood stars during the silent and golden eras. The book inspired a short-lived TV series and a season of the popular podcast You Must Remember This.
Philosophical Discussion
Anger’s legacy raises interesting questions about the relationship between rebellion and respectability. On the one hand, his work was often hailed as subversive and countercultural. On the other, the controversy surrounding the obscenity charges and the dubious claims made in his book call into question the nature of his rebellion.
While it is true that Anger’s work pushed boundaries, it is important to consider that this was in the context of a larger avant-garde scene that also included the likes of Andy Warhol and Jonas Mekas. In this sense, Anger existed within an established scene that, while certainly experimental and boundary-pushing, was also accepting of this type of work.
Furthermore, Anger’s penchant for dubious scandal-mongering in his book and his tendency to exaggerate and mythologize his own story suggest that he was less a true subversive rebel than a savvy self-promoter. In this sense, his legacy represents not so much a rebellion against Hollywood conventions, but rather a skillful co-opting of those conventions for his own gain.
Editorial and Advice
While it is certainly important to celebrate artists like Kenneth Anger who pushed boundaries and helped to shape the avant-garde scene, it is equally important to be critical of their legacies and to hold them accountable for their actions. In the case of Anger, this means recognizing the limitations of his rebellion and understanding that his work was part of an established avant-garde scene.
Furthermore, it is important to consider the negative effects of Anger’s scandal-mongering and mythologizing. While it is certainly true that Hollywood was and remains a deeply flawed institution, it is equally true that sensationalistic claims and unsubstantiated rumors only serve to harm those individuals who are still living or who have living relatives. In this sense, we must be cautious not to celebrate rebellion at the expense of truth and respectability.
<< photo by Christian Meier >>
