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As described by P. Adams Sitney, Narcissus (Ben Moore) "wanders in desolation through an outdoor corridor formed by two rows of busts of the Roman emperors." Narcissus finds his reflection in a pool, and later in a series of three mirrors which reflect the two different aspects of his sexual identity and "love that insures one a place in the present and history," according to director Willard Maas. Narcissus was Willard Maas' most ambitious project, and probably the first feature-length underground film made in the United States to be shown to the public -- the premiere was held at a special screening in New York in 1955. Narcissus represents direct evidence of the influence of Jean Cocteau's film The Blood of a Poet among early underground filmmakers. It was given an "Award of Distinction" by the Creative Film Foundation.