Cremaster 5 is a five-act opera (sung in Hungarian) set in late-ninteenth century Budapest. The last film in the series, Cremaster 5 represents the moment when the testicles are finally released and sexual differentiation is fully attained. The lamenting tone of the opera suggests that Barney invisions this as a moment of tragedy and loss. The primary character is the Queen of Chain (played by Ursula Andress). Barney, himself, plays three characters who appear in the mind of the Queen: her Diva, Magician, and Giant. The Magician is a stand-in for Harry Houdini, who was born in Budapest in 1874 and appears as a recurring character in the Cremaster cycle.
Ursula Andress
Queen of Chain
Matthew Barney
Diva / Giant / Magician
Joanne Rha
Queen's Usher / Fudor Sprite
Susan Rha
Queen's Usher / Fudor Sprite
Amy Chiang
Fudor Sprite
Mei-Chiao Chiu
Fudor Sprite
Michelle Ingkavet
Fudor Sprite
Yoko Hyun
Fudor Sprite (as Yoko Kuroiwa)
