The Mystical Rose: excerpt

The Mystical Rose (1976) is an Australian experimental film by Michael Lee. It is loosely structured as a Catholic Mass and draws on religious iconography to reflect the filmmaker's earlier traumatic Catholic experiences.

In this clip, the breaking of the Eucharistic host is conveyed through rapid cuts and potent symbolic imagery: dilated pupils, an oesophagus, a blooming moon, erupting volcanoes, and flowers. This sensory overload captures both the ritual’s emotional weight and Lee’s discomfort with it. Lee cleverly uses nature-based symbols to reflect his internal states, and the sequence builds toward a sonic 'drop' or climactic release, with the immersive pull of choral music.