{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | image = American Circumcision 2017 Main Poster.jpg | caption = The main poster for the film. | director = Brendon Marotta | producer = Brendon Marotta | starring = {{plainlist| * Marilyn Milos * Georganne Chapin * Andrew Freedman * Edgar Schoen * Brian Morris * Jonathan Conte }} | cinematography = Ben Slavens | music = John Allen Graves | studio = BDM | distributor = {{plainlist| * Netflix * Amazon Prime Video * Target * Walmart * Barnes & Nobles }} | released = {{Film date|2017|11|18|Fort Worth, Texas|ref1=}} | runtime = 101 minutes | country = United States | language = English }} '''''American Circumcision''''' is a 2017 documentary film about circumcision and the varying medical, legal, religious, and cultural views on it. The film features a strong focus on the self-named intactivist community and activist Marilyn Milos. It was partially funded on crowdfunding platform Kickstarter and released on Blu-Ray, DVD, and streaming platforms in 2017.
== Summary and Synopsis ==
=== Summary === The documentary approaches circumcision from multiple angles through a bodily autonomy lens. The film highlights many interviews in private and outdoors with doctors, parents, circumcised men, and psychologists. The film shows both circumcision proponents and anti-circumcision activists. Also included are circumcision practitioners and self-described circumcision survivors. These interviews vary between being sparingly edited and quickly played against each other. Other sources include news broadcasts, protests, and medical presentations.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Shadows on the Wall {{!}} Arthouse Films |url=http://www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk/18/h-d.htm#amer |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=www.shadowsonthewall.co.uk}}</ref>
=== Synopsis === The introduction of the film provides an overview of circumcision, the reasons why it's performed, and circumcision controversies.<ref name=":2" />
Later the interviewees talk openly about the medical, personal, and sexual benefits of foreskin. Brian Morris, a prominent infant circumcision advocate<ref>{{Cite web |title=Staff Profile |url=https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/about/our-people/academic-staff/brian-morris.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250617041658/https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/about/our-people/academic-staff/brian-morris.html |archive-date=2025-06-17 |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=The University of Sydney |language=en-US}}</ref> makes his impassioned case for the procedure, largely based on its use to reduce HIV rates and certain cancers such as penile cancer and cervical cancer. Explicit parallels are drawn between circumcision and female genital mutilation.<ref name="Margolis">{{Cite web |last=Margolis |first=Eleanor |date=2019-02-05 |title=On the issue of circumcision, I wonder If Men's Rights Activists have a point |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2019/02/issue-circumcision-i-wonder-if-men-s-rights-activists-have-point |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=New Statesman |language=en-US}}</ref>
The film also explains foreskin restoration, showing various restoration devices.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=cineSOURCE magazine |url=https://cinesourcemagazine.com/index.php?/site/dschwartz_fa/american_circumcision/= |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=cinesourcemagazine.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Massi |first=Giselle M. |date=2019-02-01 |title=Advocating for Wholeness Starts Early: American Circumcision |url=https://www.edgemagazine.net/2019/02/advocating-for-wholeness-starts-early-american-circumcision/ |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=The Edge Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> Parents and children talk about how circumcision and grief relating to it has hurt them and their family.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5">{{Cite web |title=The Men Who Want to End Circumcision in America |url=https://www.advocate.com/health/2018/8/31/men-who-want-end-circumcision-america |access-date=2025-08-16 |website=www.advocate.com |language=en}}</ref> The surgical procedure is described in detail and parts of a circumcision on a newborn child are shown. A segment focuses on circumcision opposition within Judaism and the practice of Brit shalom.<ref name=":2" />
Medical professionals, parents, activists, children, and Jewish speakers share how they grow to accept having performed circumcisions or being circumcised.<ref name=":5" /> Many of them share that leaning into activism allows them to transmute their regret, fear, grief, and sadness into inspiration to make sure no one else has to experience their pain.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-01-17 |title=The Unkindest Cut? Circumcision Ethics, Evidence, and Activism |url=https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/generalpediatrics/77490 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241017012330/https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/generalpediatrics/77490 |archive-date=2024-10-17 |access-date=2025-08-16 |language=en}}</ref>
== Reception == On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 60% based on reviews from 5 critics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=American Circumcision |website=Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/american_circumcision |access-date=2025-08-14 }}</ref>
The film's topic is inherently controversial and taboo.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Collier |first=Roger |date=2011-11-22 |title=Circumcision indecision: the ongoing saga of the world's most popular surgery |journal=Canadian Medical Association |volume=183 |issue=17 |pages=1961–1962 |doi=10.1503/cmaj.109-4021 |issn=1488-2329 |pmc=3225415 |pmid=22007124}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Massi |first=Giselle M. |date=2019-02-01 |title=Advocating for Wholeness Starts Early: American Circumcision |website=The Edge Magazine|url=https://www.edgemagazine.net/2019/02/advocating-for-wholeness-starts-early-american-circumcision/ |access-date=2025-08-16 }}</ref> Some critics lauded it as brave and powerful.<ref>{{Cite web |title=american circumcision {{!}} Search Results |url=https://bigapplereviews.net/?s=american+circumcision |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523212313/https://bigapplereviews.net/?s=american+circumcision |archive-date=2019-05-23 |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=BigAppleReviews.net }}</ref> Jennie Kermode of Eye For Film said it was "A must for parents-to-be considering this issue...".<ref name="Kermode">{{Cite web |title=American Circumcision - Film Review |url=https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/american-circumcision-2017-film-review-by-jennie-kermode |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=Eye For Film }}</ref> Others found it upsetting or overwrought. Bradley Gibson of Film Threat said "As a circumcised male, I find the phrase “intact” as a reference to uncircumcised men to be pejorative and offensive."<ref name="Gibson">{{Cite web |url=https://filmthreat.com/reviews/american-circumcision/ |title= American Circumcision |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=filmthreat.com}}</ref>
Also controversial was the film's emotional and openly-biased perspective on a partially-medical issue.<ref name="Margolis" /> Kermode claimed "The film doesn't pretend to be objective but it substantiates its medical arguments well."<ref name="Kermode" /> and Gibson wrote "...the scientific method takes a beating in all the emotional histrionics."<ref name="Gibson" />
The film won Best Documentary at the 2017 Lone Star Film Festival in early screenings in Fort Worth.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Film |first=American Circumcision |date=2017-11-12 |title=American Circumcision Won Best Documentary At The Lone Star Film Festival |url=https://circumcisionmovie.com/2017/11/bestdoc-lsff/ |access-date=2025-08-14 |website=American Circumcision |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links ==
* [https://circumcisionmovie.com/ Official website]
Category:2017 films Category:2017 documentary films Category:American documentary films Category:Documentary films about women Category:Documentary films about child abuse Category:English-language documentary films Category:2017 American films