Watch
Criterion Channel Max
The Big Shave
The Big Shave
Your probable score
?
The Big Shave

The Big Shave

1967
Drama
Short Film
6m
A young man starts shaving and finds himself unable to stop.

Directed by:

Martin Scorsese

Screenwriter:

Martin Scorsese

Starring:

Peter Bernuth

Genre:

Drama

Country:

USA

Language:

None

The Big Shave

1967
Drama
Short Film
6m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 48.08% from 508 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(515)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 16 Aug 2020
86
87th
Scorsese pretty effectively looks at the Vietnam War and in this weird, uncomfortable short of an attractive young man willfully mutilating himself says what we're all now thinking: "Look at what the fuck is going on. What the fuck are we doing here??" Or, basically transpose this to any negative human endeavor, we dedicate ourselves so stupidly to it and can't seem to stop till there's blood everywhere.
Rated 18 Jul 2009
70
44th
There Will Be Blood.
Rated 13 Dec 2008
74
56th
Interesting look at the Vietnam War and the beginning of an incredibly talented film director's career. Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g5Y_RUDUE0
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
50th
It may have been envisioned as a metaphor for the Vietnam War, but it works as a metaphor for any "if it ain't broken don't fix it, and at the very least don't continue trying to fix it long after it stops being necessary" type of situation.
Rated 01 Jul 2007
4
44th
A bloody good short!
Rated 19 Feb 2024
65
51st
The kind of perfect simplicity that makes a great short, and proves the strength of a director working within severe (even if self-imposed) creative boundaries.
Rated 18 Apr 2023
4
74th
Framing and rhythm and color and humor and sex and blood and probably anti-war and as Tarkovsky might put it: poetic cinema!
Rated 12 Feb 2023
60
51st
weird.
Rated 09 Feb 2023
60
49th
Pretty good bloody results for a man simply shaving. You can tell it’s made by Scorsese.
Rated 27 Jul 2021
65
34th
There's not much here beyond a man shaving until he's bloody, though it can be seen as a metaphor for several things. I will say it effectively made me feel uneasy - though the wounds are not realistic, the blood definitely is. Good jazz in the background.
Rated 23 May 2021
75
26th
Viewed May 22, 2021.
Rated 29 Aug 2020
55
45th
"I know writers who use subtext, and they're all cowards." Scorsese's talents are already apparent here.
Rated 09 Jul 2019
7
61st
Vietwhat?
Rated 14 Jan 2018
71
53rd
Graphic early short of Scorsese about an American case of self-mutilation with references to the Vietnam War and eh, Herman Melville? The context is rather blunt and ephemeral but also creates a lingering uncomfortable feeling.
Rated 10 Sep 2016
67
43rd
Disturbingly effective, though its not something that can really be enjoyed outside of that. Some odd editing choices.
Rated 02 Feb 2015
61
54th
Impressive as an early work.
Rated 27 Jan 2014
4
52nd
that's just gross. seriously morbid. enormously impressive early work but not sure if i really enjoyed it much.
Rated 13 Jan 2014
3
24th
Not as bad as Cutting Moments.
Rated 22 Dec 2013
67
57th
The sleepy jazz number set against this backdrop is pretty creepy.
Rated 16 Sep 2013
60
62nd
Disturbing.
Rated 23 Jul 2013
73
54th
Beautiful violence.
Rated 25 Nov 2012
76
53rd
Not only the goriest film by gore-master Scorsese, but the goriest film ever made -- I almost passed out and threw up all over myself first time I saw this, no joke. Certainly doesn't help me with my fear of razors and shavers (luckily, even in my post-pubescent years, I can't grow a beard for crap).
Rated 02 Oct 2012
70
33rd
Ouch !
Rated 03 Jan 2012
58
60th
The concept's kind of simplistic, and there are a couple of triple repeating shots that don't work for me (see: the man taking his shirt off), but Scorsese's brilliant flair for visuals and violence are apparent even this early in his career.
Rated 14 Nov 2011
7
58th
Early Scorsese magic.
Rated 22 Sep 2010
60
45th
Simple idea, fine execution. The gore can get pretty funny.
Rated 25 Oct 2009
80
63rd
There are things you can't fix because it's already done, so if you try , you get the opposite.
Rated 25 Oct 2009
80
56th
Esse é um material poderoso, Scorsese faz uma analogia a guerra do Vietnam de forma perfeita! Mais do que recomendável...
Rated 22 Apr 2009
62
14th
Starts off mundane and then suddenly hits you with a surprise. I don't think it works as a metaphor and I don't particularly like the visceral aspect of it, but it gets points genuinely surprising me.
Rated 26 Feb 2009
70
61st
Disturbing short, pretty cool.
Rated 24 Feb 2009
68
70th
The Big Shave works best if viewed not as specifically allegorical but as an open metaphor meditating on the danger of inertia, of how easily any thoughtless routine can veer unnoticed into catastrophe.
Rated 22 Oct 2008
7
68th
The Lumiere brothers meet Scorsese.
Rated 01 Oct 2008
3
38th
I don't know how well the Vietnam war allegory works out or holds up, but I do know that the thought of cutting myself with a razor makes me cringe every time and that this is a very well made and interesting short.
Rated 17 Sep 2007
50
22nd
blah
Rated 24 Aug 2007
35
10th
22 Agustos 07
Rated 08 May 2007
0
8th
You'd have to be psychic to guess that the director of this pretentious and thoroughly unpleasant movie would one day be regarded as one of America's best

Cast & Info

Directed by:

Martin Scorsese

Screenwriter:

Martin Scorsese

Starring:

Peter Bernuth

Genre:

Drama

Country:

USA

Language:

None

Collections

Loading ...

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...

Trailer

Loading ...