The Benefactress (an Exposure of Cinematic Freedom)

An extreme film, a sort of horror-porn like we haven't seen in a long time.

Guerrilla Metropolitana attempts his second feature film (after DARIUSS) and shocks audiences even more with THE BENEFACTRESS (an exposure of cinematic freedom) a display of cinematic freedom , as the director himself defines the film (67 minutes), acquired by Blood Pact Films, a US distribution company that released it on DVD and Blu-ray on July 31st, making it available on various streaming platforms.

THE BENEFACTRESS (an exposure of cinematic freedom) was presented to other distribution companies but received outright rejections - the director makes it a boast of freedom - because it was deemed (by one European distributor in particular) as offensive, repugnant and misogynistic . However, thanks to a courageous, not at all bigoted distributor, the film will be distributed worldwide, thanks to the fact that it was shot in English. The film is a purely underground work , evil and sadistic, violent and perverse. The style is a distinctive feature of its author, very reminiscent of DARIUSS , a film with which it forms an inseparable diptych, a true cultural manifesto of Guerrilla Metropolitana . THE BENEFACTRESS (an exposure of cinematic freedom), according to the director, represents the highest and most significant point of his work, in practice it is what he would like to remain as a symbol of his work. A largely visual film, alternating black and white with color, it begins with a narrated section, read by the protagonist and written on the screen, which acts as a prologue, a sort of monologue that develops in the subsequent images. The written section recounts the background to the previous film (DARIUSS) and explains that the new film was financed by a mysterious benefactress , a middle-aged woman with respiratory problems, married to a famous American preacher, owner of a television channel. THE BENEFACTRESS (an exposure of cinematic freedom) works under the pseudonym of Elektra McBride and asked to appear in the film via video link during the production itself. The film shows what an underground director can do with money and the support of people who seem to be against unconventional cinema, but behind the scenes contribute to its existence. Immediately after, we witness a long monologue by Juicy X , who does not reveal her identity but chooses the path of this pseudonym and recounts her previous experiences with the director. Juicy X is also called a 'benefactress' because of her big heart that convinced her to help many women victims of abuse. Sixty-seven minutes of strong, sadistic and evil cinema, a work that stands as a symbol of visual freedom; the director wants to demonstrate that an artist must not set limits but must always push forward in the name of freedom of expression. THE BENEFACTRESS (an exposure of cinematic freedom) recalls the philosophical novels of the Marquis de Sade , irreverent works like Pasolini 's Salò , touches on themes dear to the Beat Generation, reminds us of Italian authors free from conditioning such as Ruggero Deodato ( Cannibal Holocaust ), even Bruno Mattei and such Nazi eroticism as KZ9 extermination camp . Guerrilla Metropolitana intends to dedicate his latest work to the achievement of complete artistic enlightenment , placing his camera at the service of supreme art. Everything in the film is authentic, even the violence and sexual acts; the director even goes so far as to film himself performing perverse acts with a rubber phallus, exposing his naked body to the audience. Many sequences are shot in close-up, with the protagonist's face speaking to the audience-referencing similar shots by Bergman -and we witness penetrations with rubber phalluses and sex toys, all accompanied by icy music, often filmed by a frantic handheld camera that uses rapid subjective shots. The camera spies on the perverse protagonist's domestic activities, even her solitary masturbations and gratuitous acts of violence, in a sort of perverse erotic neorealism (which has nothing sensual about it) interested only in provoking disgust and repulsion. Libertine and savage, amoral and steeped in sexual sadism; after the credits, another two minutes of anal excesses involving a victim conclude an extreme film, a kind of horror porn the likes of which we haven't seen in a long time. In some sequences featuring the benefactor at the piano, we were reminded of Riz Ortolani 's captivating soundtrack, used by Deodato to underscore the more sordid moments of Cannibal Holocaust . The director confides: "Nearly 200 actresses from different parts of the world were considered but subsequently rejected. Some left for refusing to shoot extreme sexual material, others were fired because they were not considered strong enough for such roles. In the end, the choice fell on Juicy X (already the protagonist of the short film Corporate Torment - It burns like HELL ) and the artist Mystery Woman . A film shot over a weekend in a villa on the outskirts of London, without telling the owner what was going on in those rooms. "Everything is spontaneous," says the director, "the initial script was ignored to follow the inspiration of the moment. Some erotic scenes between Metropolitana (actor) and his co-star Mystery Woman are authentic, decided at the last minute, to break every taboo and avoid a classic approach. Metropolitana 's masturbation and subsequent erection in the film are authentic and filmed live. The shots include a hysterical and realistic use of the handheld camera, with diagonal moving shots, some visually exaggerated by an elaborate experimental editing. The photography goes from a dark expressionistic black and white to bright colors and deliberately dirty parts. Jake Random 's Arabian music - designed to exacerbate the sadistic madness of the visual context - gives way to the experimental and psychedelic rhythms of the band Monoxide . The performers (Juicy X and Mystery Woman) go beyond any orthodox acting scheme and use their bodies to give erotic realism to every scene. New Zealand writer Del Gibson defined the film as Metropolitana 's absolute masterpiece and - after seeing the latest work - decided to write a book on the director's cinema entitled SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT BUTTERFLY - The shocking cinema of visionary underground filmmaker Guerrilla Metropolitana . The well-known American horror critic Meredith J. Brown wrote of the film: " Guerrilla Metropolitana proves himself to be a vigorous and unapologetic visionary, both in terms of beauty and evil. A disturbing film that goes far beyond the known categories of hidden perversions. Metropolitana is unapologetic in showing you his true art and what drives him to behave differently." A work that is not for everyone, and above all, it should not be seen as an entertainment film, but as an exercise in style, an unusual work that pushes artistic ideals beyond all limits.

First I was amazed at the cinemtography and the camera effects. Then there was the intensity of the film. I couldn't stop watching and was eagerly awaiting what was coming around the corner scene by scene. Brilliantly done! It will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat. I'm happy to have this film along with Dariuss in my collection.

The Benefactoress by Guerilla Metropolitan is a bold, unsettling yet thought-provoking film. It pushes boundaries with its raw narrative and striking visuals. While not for the faint-hearted, the creativity and daring effort deserve recognition.

I love it personally as for the creativity and all the effort has been used.

THE BENEFACTRESS (An exposure of cinematic freedom) is a direct act of mutiny towards modern culture and what mainstream deems as normal cinema. This is not a film for the 'normies' or the faint of heart. There are ghastly images of horror, a terrifying plot in which we see two women on a rampage against another woman in a violent display of power dynamics, as well as a director with an intense and unconscionable vision. Let me be frank; this is a brutal assault on the viewers senses. By the end of it, you will either hate this with every fibre of your being, or it'll be accepted and loved as a film that will go down in history for its avid approach to cinema. The graphic images, the conception of the plot, the violence, deep psychological threads, as well as the filmmaker's sexual expression, make this an insane and profound film. He demands his actresses to perform, almost like they are pieces of a puzzle to manipulate, in order for Metropolitana to get his vision and thoughts across. You have to view this from start to end, after the credits, as there is more to see and hear. And don't blink, or you may miss the subliminal messages that are strewn throughout the film. The attention to detail is beyond excellent, which of course is a signature of Metropolitana's cinema.

At the beginning we scroll through a written explanation of how the film came into existence, and who Elektra McBride is and why she is so important to this film. She is a middle-aged woman suffering with respiratory related problems and is the wife of a famous American Televangelist and Christian pastor who owns a TV channel on a religious video-on-demand digital platform. She's watching the horrors happening from the comfort of her home; via video link from her cell phone. Part of the write up at the beginning sets the scene and tone immediately. "This film is an account of the other side of the film industry, and shows what an underground filmmaker can do with mainstream money and support from some of the same people who on the outside appear to be against unconventional cinema, but often behind closed doors, and with fake names, can and do actually contribute to the very existence of this type of filmmaking."

The introduction is the first indication that this film will push all of whatever boundaries are left to break, "How far can a filmmaker's artistic freedom go?" which is foreshadowing the horrendous events that take place in what I would call, 'the house of horrors.' We meet Juicy X, a voluptuous middle-aged woman, she stutters and is hesitant in her monologue; giving off the impression that she isn't all there in the head. What I found particularly interesting when I look closely at the components of the film in detail is that Juicy X has a certain emotionless demeanour when it comes to acting out her violence towards the Mystery Woman. The immense cruelty of Juicy X is not only one of the film's predominant elements, it is also one of its most terrifying. However, the most atrocious character is Elektra McBride, because she finances the film under the provision that the actions being filmed are carried out for real, and consequently the suffering is authentic. This clearly shows the level of her evilness, that in a way, supersedes that which is acted out by Juicy X.

Juicy X is going about her business in the house, like it's just a normal enough day. The scene changes dramatically when Juicy X discovers that the Mystery Woman has escaped her confines. The first assault is shown in techno colour, and the sound effects are gruelling. It immediately makes the viewer's senses switch on; which of course is why the sound effects are vital to this film, and it's another element that Metropolitana is famous for. It's painfully obvious that Metropolitana wanted to represent women in all of their many facades. The impermeable and cruel nature of Juicy X. The Mystery Woman as the weak and vulnerable victim. The sadistic and controlling Elektra McBride. Before the first assault is over, Juicy X shaves the Mystery Woman's private parts.

We cut to a scene of Juicy X in the kitchen, gulping back a bottle of wine and crying, to the screams of ecstasy from the filmmaker, and screams of terror from the Mystery Woman. We see a slither of humanity from Juicy X and I had to wonder if it's guilt? However, the moment is short lived, as she up's the ante with a gun. The director proceeds to use the gun against the Mystery Woman, meanwhile Juicy X is lying on the couch scrolling through her cell phone. This shows the total disconnect between what is right and wrong. It also shows how far-gone Juicy X is: She is pure evil incarnate. Metropolitana certainly knows how to combine human intensity, evilness, and perversion into an extraordinary form of art.

The director's illicit behaviour is compelling and deplorable to watch at the same time. There is a certain nastiness coming through upstairs, in front of the mirror and in the bathroom. There is almost something immature about the director, compared to the viciousness of the women. He runs on desire to fulfil his primordial urges, whereas the women show total control, almost in a calculated approach to inflict the most horrendous wickedness upon their victim. He crosses boundaries, as he delves into the far corners of human psychopathy at its worst. He cleverly and courageously integrates meta-cinema, guerrilla filming, underground tones, pornographic images, violence, horror, spontaneity, and human psychology into the film. The SOV continues, and is an enthralling way to create maximum tension. This type of exposure is sure to make the audience gasp in horror. We see how far this filmmaker will go to express himself as both the character in his own film, and Guerrilla Metropolitana the filmmaker; blurring the edges between Metropolitana playing the role as the sadistic director (controlled by Elektra McBride) begins, and where the filmmaker, Guerrilla Metropolitana, ends. They are blended in a fascinating way, entwined in this madness.

But it doesn't end there! The cleaner (played by Marie Antoinette de Robespierre) turns up to clean the house. We get an insight into her personality as she travels from room to room, cleaning up the crime scene. We see an image of Guerrilla Metropolitana posing for a photo, with a quote saying, "Only the enlightened taste the fruit of freedom, whilst in the valley of sh**, the useless sleep." After the credits, we can hear that filming has resumed with the next victim, as the director screams for more!

Overall: THE BENEFACTRESS (An exposure of cinematic freedom) can be watched in reverse and would ultimately have the same outcome for the viewer. The sound effects are terrible and visceral, with a variety of repetitive sounds, screams, sobbing, and violence, are craftily placed to enhance the scenes. This film is for deep thinkers and not a mediocre audience. Those enlightened individuals who can appreciate the artistic quality of the film, without prejudice or judgement, who can look past the intimate severity of this film, as it is not for moralists or for gratuitous sensationalism. The filmmaker's vision is nothing more than artistic freedom. He doesn't follow the norms of the market and he does not damper it down for those normies of the world. He does what he does, because he can. We can clearly see that his cinema is an art form that should only be used by those who truly have something to say. His cinema is strongly connected to his sexuality and identity. There are interesting colour changes, from black and white, to scenes in techno colour, and it goes hand in hand with the shifts in moods and tones.

Finally, both actresses Juicy X and the Mystery Woman perform in such a way to make this film as realistic as possible. Considering they both come from traditional acting backgrounds, they deserted every textbook of traditional acting in this film, deciding to be molded like clay by the director, according to a very specific vision of cinema; free from classical rules. They delivered their roles with professionalism; the quality of their performance shows how talented they are. I commend their bravery in pushing themselves past any modesty or fear of backlash from the conservative people of the world.

Reviewed by Del Gibson.

A bold step into the past of grindhouse artistic film Dark, Gritty, and un nearving If you want to take a trip to the beyound what is possible than look no further this film will take up to the depths of the shadows and make you wonder what is next.

This is Dark art at its finest.

Jack Russel The Todd Jaeger Experience.