The Private Life of a Cat (1946) Review

I never thought that there would be a movie in Maya Deren’s filmography that would make me say “what a waste of time”. The same woman, who shattered the subconscious with Meshes of the Afternoon and went crazy by bending space and time with At Land, suddenly shows only the birth of cats and the care of kittens for 22 minutes. No dialogue, no surreal loops, no mirror faces, no knives… Just black-and-white, silent observation shot from ground level.

İzlerker: “Sister Maya, are you okay, why did you shoot such a movie?” I asked. It was an empty movie, bro. A complete filmography outlier. The queen of experimental cinema suddenly turned into a “cat documentary”. What happened, what does it matter? Did they film their own cats during that marriage (with Hammid) in the 1940s? Okay, it may be a personal cinematic attempt, but… when you watch it, is this it? Story? A female cat becomes pregnant, chooses a suitable location and labor begins.

Five cubs are born, naturally, without hiding anything. Then the mothers breastfeed the babies, play with them, raise them… Just this cycle for 22 minutes. The camera is completely at the cats’ level, zero human figures, zero dramatic twist. Some say it’s “touching, the ritual of life”, but I think it’s an exaggeration. There is no event, there is no development. It is obvious that Maya Deren wanted to show the “natural flow of life”, but…

Surely people said, “We came to the cinema to watch a kitten for 22 minutes” in ’46? Characters: The only thing I call characters here are cats. Female cat and kittens. Not even a name, just “She” and five puppies. Maya Deren does not use her own body, she stays behind the camera. It is obvious that Hammid was more dominant in the shot. Deren is not an actor here, he is just an observer. Maybe it was a deliberate choice: He wanted to create a “personal” space even in animals because he thought “birth is secret and sacred.” But the movie doesn’t even have that depth.

Just cats and their routines. Symbolism and Themes: Almost no symbolism. The key-flower-knife trio in Meshes is not here. There is no subconscious labyrinth. There is no identity crisis. There is no feminist perspective. It’s just a natural cycle like “birth, motherhood, growth”. Some critics interpret it as “ritual”, but I think it is forced. A complete “emptiness” movie. In terms of FRP: You watch “cat NPCs” in the Dungeon, there is no loot, no quest, not even a side quest.

Technique and Vision Low budget, indoor shooting, black and white, completely silent (Deren’s own narration added in some versions). They label it experimental, but it’s basically an old-school documentary. The idea of cat-eye level shooting is nice, but the same thing repeats for 22 minutes. No music, no effects, no that famous Teiji Ito hum. This is the most “ordinary” and least ambitious one in Deren’s filmography.

Why did he pull it? Maybe he wanted a “personal break” during the marriage. Maybe he thought, “bringing the female perspective to nature.” But the result: When you watched it, you thought, “Did we expect this from Maya Deren?” It makes you say. Bonus for Frp /Geek From Frp’s perspective: Nothing bro. You can add a “cat mother” NPC to your character sheet, but that’s it. For those who love experimental cinema, it is watched as “it is necessary to complete the filmography”.

Otherwise, jump directly. If you are looking for inspiration from Lynch to Godard, this is not it. Conclusion: The Private Life of a Cat is the most “relevant” of Maya Deren’s filmography. It was an empty movie, yes. You watch the birth and care of cats for 22 minutes. “Is this it?” you say. Definitely to be avoided if you are looking for experimental cinema, psychological depth, dream cycle. You can only look at it once to say, “I watched everything about Deren.” The period of marriage with Hammid seems like a “break”.

Then Deren will return again with Ritual in Transfigured Time. I think it has high scores, so I see this as a “transitional movie”. Shout out to Maya Deren, but… next time please bring back the mirror-faced figure, sister.