The early 2000s brought us so many experimental classics, including Gerry, Palindromes, Mulholland Drive, Waking Life, and The Brown Bunny. These films are fearless – perfect examples of the artist in full control of a unique vision, untouched by mainstream sensibilities.

The Brown Bunny stands out as one of the strongest films of 2003. It feels as though it comes from a different time and place, particularly the New Hollywood movement of the sixties and seventies. It has the fiercely independent feel of Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces, right down to the aesthetics. The Brown Bunny was shot on 16mm and blown up to 35mm, giving it a thick layer of grain that complements both the beautiful cinematography and the admittedly raw nature of the material.

The Brown Bunny centers around a character named Bud Clay (played by Gallo) a motorcyclist who wanders around aimlessly in his van, emotionally distraught, on a journey to find a lost love named Daisy (Chloë Sevigny). He has several awkward and short-lived encounters with women that he meets along the way, unable to connect with any one of them in a meaningful way. This is a deliberately paced film that lingers on seemingly insignificant moments with an incredibly broken and lonely man at the center.

When the film was released, it caused quite a stir and polarized audiences, many of whom couldn’t get past an act of unsimulated fellatio near the end of the film. In context, the scene in question is anything but erotic, and the discussion between Daisy and Bud following the act only confirms this. It’s a sequence that would barely bat an eye with European audiences, but here in the States, it was a moment that overshadowed the rest of the film. In America, it’s more acceptable to blow the entire world away on screen than to depict a blowjob, and this was never more apparent than when this film was released.

Writer-actor-director, Vincent Gallo, has a reputation for controversy. He’s a conservative who routinely stirs the pot just for the hell of it, and honestly, much of this persona comes off as a desperate bid for attention, or at the very least, performance art. Gallo is an egomaniac, but with just two widely released films, Buffalo ’66 and The Brown Bunny, he proves himself to be a daring filmmaker.

You could easily dismiss The Brown Bunny as “pretentious”, and maybe it is. Some of the greatest films in the history of cinema are “pretentious”. It’s a badge of honor that the creator of this film would be happy to wear on his sleeve. The Brown Bunny is a journey worth taking for those who have the patience and an open mind. You’ll find that it is rewarding, particularly by way of the aesthetics, the meticulous sound mix, the needle drops on the soundtrack, the wide range of emotions conveyed throughout by the characters in this world. It’s a film that has been reassessed over time, one that is now seen as a small gem. I know several people who claim that The Brown Bunny is their favorite film.

Say what you will about the artist at the helm. Gallo has brought much vitriol upon himself for his words and actions – and perhaps, that’s exactly what he wants.

Just know that The Brown Bunny is a film worth seeing, even once.