Circle of Power

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Circle of Power

Executives embracing after participating in "Executive Development Training"
Directed by Bobby Roth
Produced by Gary Mehlman
Anthony Quinn
Jeffrey White
Written by Stephen Bello, Beth Sullivan (screenplay)
Conrad D. Carnes, Gene Church (book)
Starring Yvette Mimieux,
Christopher Allport,
Cindy Pickett,
John Considine,
Walter Olkewicz
Music by Richard Markowitz
Cinematography Affonso Beato
Editing by Gail Yasunaga
Distributed by Media Home Entertainment,
Qui Productions,
Televicine International
Release date(s) 1983
Running time 98 min.
Country Flag of the United States United States
Language English
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Circle of Power, a 1983 film, co-produced by Gary Mehlman, Anthony Quinn and Jeffrey White , was based on the book The Pit: A Group Encounter Defiled. The film is also known as Mystique, Brainwash and The Naked Weekend.

Contents

[edit] Cast

Actor Role
Yvette Mimieux Bianca Ray
Christopher Allport Jack Nilsson
Cindy Pickett Lyn Nilsson
John Considine Jordan Carelli
Walter Olkewicz Chris Morris
Leo Rossi Buddy Gordon
Carmen Argenziano Tony Annese

[edit] Plot synopsis

Yvette Mimieux, as chief executive of "Executive Development Training"
Yvette Mimieux, as chief executive of "Executive Development Training"

Yvette Mimieux plays the chief executive of a giant corporation called "Mystique"[1], but the organization is also known as "Executive Development Training", or EDT[2]. Christopher Allport plays Jack Nilsson, a decent all-American young executive[3].

Top management executives are required to spend a weekend with her at a hotel, where they are put under psychological pressure[1]. As a prerequisite to the training course, participants must sign a waiver giving the company the release to physically and psychologically abuse the individuals in the course[3]. The participants struggle with their shortcomings, such as obesity and alcoholism[3]. Another individual is a closet homosexual, and a fourth is a transvestite[2]. At one point in the film, the obese trainee is forced to eat trash and discarded food in front of the other seminar participants[2]. Eventually, the seminar executives and their wives lose their inhibitions later on in the "consciousness-raising" coursework[4].

[edit] Reception

The film won a Dramatic Films award at the 1982 Sundance Film Festival[5]. Circle of Power played under the title: Mystique, at the 1981 Chicago International Film Festival[1].

A review in The New York Times described Roth's Circle of Power as an "attack on monolithic belief systems", and stated that the film was "a worthwhile movie"[3]. All Movie Guide compared the psychological nature of the techniques utilized by Executive Development Training to Erhard Seminars Training, calling them "EST-like excesses"[2]. Roger Ebert gave the film three-stars, and wrote that "..it's an entertaining film with serious intentions.."[1]. Ebert's review of the film also compared it to events reported in Boston newspapers about a man who died during a Werner Erhard and Associates seminar, commenting: "Art anticipates life."[1] Ebert further questioned the conceit of the film, asking the question: "Could a major corporation get away with this brainwashing?"[1] However, the authors of the book upon which the film was based, conluded their preface by stating: "And please remember as you read - it's true."[6].

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Ebert, Roger. "Naked Weekend / Mystique", Chicago Sun-Times, September 28, 1983. 
  2. ^ a b c d Erickson, Hal., Brainwash, Overview, All Movie Guide, retrieved 4/20/2007.
  3. ^ a b c d Van Gelder, Lawrence. "Screen: Corporate Pressure", The New York Times, March 2, 1984. 
  4. ^ Staff. "Showtime: Circle of Power", The Chronicle Telegram, Elyria, Ohio, June 2, 1984. 
  5. ^ Brainwash, Dramatic Films, 1982, Sundance Film Festival, All Movie Guide, [1]
  6. ^ Church, Gene; Conrad D. Carnes (1972). The Pit: A Group Encounter Defiled. New York: Outerbridge & Lazard, Inc., 161. ISBN 0876900872. 

[edit] External links

Reviews

[edit] See also