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Plot
In Martin Scorsese's arresting short film, The Big Shave, an allegorical mirror to the Vietnam War is elegantly painted. The narrative unfolds within the confines of a spotless, almost unnaturally sterile bathroom. It's a world of shining porcelain and gleaming metal, where a young man enters, consumed by the seemingly mundane task of shaving.
His razor glides over his face, excising stubble to reveal smooth, unblemished skin beneath. Yet, in a chilling twist, the man's pursuit of a clean shave transgresses into a harrowing spectacle of self-destruction. As his razor continues its relentless dance, it pierces the skin, transforming the pristine bathroom into a theatre of crimson-stained carnage.
The Big Shave unnervingly juxtaposes the stark cleanliness of the bathroom against the blood-soaked spectacle of self-mutilation. It is a short but indelible portrait of a man locked in a bloody ballet with his own reflection - a striking metaphor for the war that continues to shave away at humanity, long after its face is clean.
Where to watch The Big Shave?
The Big Shave is a drama movie featuring Peter Bernuth and directed by Martin Scorsese.
The Big Shave is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.