Schizopolis
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| Schizopolis | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover of the Criterion release. |
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| Directed by | Steven Soderbergh |
| Produced by | John Hardy John Re |
| Written by | Steven Soderbergh |
| Starring | Steven Soderbergh David Jensen Mike Malone |
| Music by | Cliff Martinez Steven Soderbergh |
| Cinematography | Steven Soderbergh |
| Editing by | Steven Soderbergh |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films |
| Release date(s) |  September 13, 1996 (premiere at TIFF) April 9, 1997 March 12, 1999 |
| Running time | 96 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $250,000 |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Schizopolis (also known as Steven Soderbergh's Schizopolis) is an experimental comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh in 1996 with a non-linear narrative. The title (literally split city) means 'Schizophrenia city'.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Although the film does not have a linear plot, a skeletal structure exists, telling the same story from three different perspectives.
[edit] Segment 1
The film's main character is Fletcher Munson (played by Soderbergh), an office employee working under T. Azimuth Schwitters, the leader of a self-help company/religion/lifestyle known as Eventualism, a clear reference to L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. The audience sees the events unfold in the opening segment through Fletcher's point of view.
Fletcher sees the underlying meaning in everything, paying more attention to what is meant, rather than what is said. As he progresses through his day the audience sees the lack of attention he is paying to the people around him, degrading to the point where he comes home for dinner and he and his wife illustrate their lack of communication by simply describing what they're saying.
- Fletcher: Generic greeting.
- Wife: Generic greeting returned.
- Fletcher: Imminent sustenance.
- Wife: Overly dramatic statement regarding upcoming meal.
- Fletcher: Oooh, false reaction indicating hunger and excitement!
When Fletcher's co-worker Lester Richards (a reference to Soderbergh's idol and mentor, filmmaker Richard Lester) unexpectedly dies, Fletcher must take his job as speechwriter for Schwitters. His personal life suffers because of his work, and he becomes even more detached from his wife, who is trying to cope by having an affair.
Meanwhile, Elmo Oxygen, a local exterminator, spends much of his time going from house to house, bedding the bored housewives of the community, and taking pictures of his genitals using various cameras he finds on tables and in cabinets. Elmo and those around him speak in a nonsensical code that, for all its complexity, conveys meaning perfectly. As Elmo makes his rounds, he is followed by a couple in an SUV.
Fletcher finishes this segment by making an honest mistake in a parking lot. Finding that his key will not work, he looks around and finds that his car (parked only two spots away) is an exact match for the one he is trying to get into. He goes to enter his own car when he sees a man who is his exact double climb into the car he himself just tried to enter. Fletcher follows his doppelganger home and closes his eyes and... becomes this mystery man.
[edit] Segment 2
The second segment follows the doppelganger, one Dr. Jeffrey Korchek. Korchek is a conservative dentist who has been mentioned by one or two smaller characters in the first segment. He is always in a jogging suit, although he only jogs from his car to the door of wherever he is going. He is also quite a fan of Muzak.
Korchek, it turns out, is the mystery man that Fletcher's wife has been having an affair with, causing Fletcher/Korchek to comment, "Oh no. I'm having an affair with my wife!"
Despite being with, essentially, the same man, Mrs. Munson seems to feel comfortable with Dr. Korchek. The communication is better and she feels needed and wanted. Korchek suggests she leave Fletcher and move in with him. Mrs. Munson says she'll think about it.
The next day, Dr. Korchek has breakfast with his heroin addict brother, who first asks to stay with Korchek, and then asks to borrow money. Korchek says he can't and that his brother shouldn't be dealing with the drug dealers anyway. The brother tries to see it from this perspective, but they can't see eye to eye on this one. Korchek goes to work. Once there he meets Attractive Woman Number 2 (played by the same actress as Mrs. Munson). Korchek falls instantly in love with her and writes a letter professing his love.
- "Dear attractive woman number 2, only once in my life have I responded to a person the way I've responded to you, but I've forgotten when it was or even if it was in fact me that responded. I may not know much, but I know that the wind sings your name endlessly, although with a slight lisp that makes it difficult to understand if I'm standing near an air conditioner. I know that your hair sits atop your head as though it could sit nowhere else. I know that your figure would make a sculptor cast aside his tools, injuring his assistant who was looking out the window instead of paying attention. I know that your lips are as full as that sexy French model's that I desperately want to fuck. I know that if for an instant I could have you lie next to me, or on top of me, or sit on me, or stand over me and shake, then I would be the happiest man in my pants. I know all of this, and yet you do not know me. Change your life; accept my love. Or, at least let me pay you to accept it."
He leaves this note on her door and goes home. Once there, he sees a car parked in the driveway. It's Mrs. Munson, who has considered the offer and has left Fletcher. Korchek has to admit that he has fallen in love with someone else and this probably isn't going to work out. Mrs. Muson is justifiably upset and leaves.
The next day Korchek gets to work and is confronted by a large man who says "Your brother, eight hours, fifteen thousand dollars." In fact, all of this man's dialog consists of some combination of these three commands. Korchek goes into the office and finds a registered letter from a law firm representing Attractive Woman Number 2, who is filing a sexual harassment suit against Dr. Korchek.
The day goes from bad to worse when it is revealed that Korchek's brother has stolen all of his money. Broke, tired, loveless and depressed, Korchek leaves work, only to find that the large man's time limit has elapsed. Korchek is shot dead.
Throughout this segment, Elmo has been given his own action show and has given up bug spraying to become a star.
[edit] Segment 3
The final segment is seen through the perspective of Mrs. Munson. We move through the storyline again and see her side of things, Fletcher's growing disconnect, Dr. Korchek's affection, the day-to-day routine of being a mom. The action follows roughly the same events, except that aside from Mrs. Munson's character, everyone else is speaking Japanese, French or Italian and all is still proceeding as before. This is in a similar vein to the "generic greetings" of the earlier segment.
Once she leaves Korchek, she makes a tired reconciliation with Fletcher and they go home together. Fletcher finishes Schwitter's speech and all seems to be well.
The day of the speech, Schwitters mounts the podium and prepares to give the oration which is, by all accounts, quite good. He doesn't get to utter even a greeting, though, as Elmo, who has been missing for this entire segment, bursts into the auditorium and shoots Schwitters in the chest.
[edit] Credits
The film has no beginning or end credits. There is a single frame of copyright information at the end of the film, but that is all.
[edit] Cast
- Steven Soderbergh as Fletcher Munson / Dr. Jeffrey Korchek
- Betsy Brantley as Mrs. Munson / Attractive Woman #2
- David Jensen as Elmo Oxygen
- Mike Malone as T. Azimuth Schwitters
- Eddie Jemison as Nameless Numberhead Man
- Scott Allen as Right-Hand Man
- Katherine La Nasa as Attractive Woman #1
- C.C. Courtney as Man Being Interviewed
- Liann Pattison & Silas Cooper as Mysterious Couple
- Sarah Soderbergh as Fletcher's Daughter
- Peter Soderbergh as Lester Richards
- Park Seward as TV Commercial Announcer
- Fritzi Bjorndahl as Numbers Woman
- Susan Jensen as Schwitters Convert Interviewee
- Miles Hardy as Fletcher Munson, age 9
- Jimmy Weatherford as Running Man
- Gordon Mese as Hospital Attendant / Thug Demanding Ransom Money
- J.P. delaHoussaye as Hospital Attendant
- Jennifer McKinney as Photo Sore Clerk
- Darrin Dickerson as Photo Store Customer
- Joe Chrest, Andre'du Broc, Marcus Brown, Coleman Hough as Bomb Scare Crowd
- John McConnell as Fletcher's Neighbor
- John Hardy as Talk Show Host
- Bruce Evans as Thaddeus Tribby
- Rodger Kamenetz as Cardiologist
- Bob Courtney as TV Newscaster #1
- Margaret Lawhon as TV Newscaster #2
- Sonny Cranch as Funeral Minister
- Kathy Waters as Lester Richards' Wife
- Morey McElroy as Elmo's Couch Girl
- Gene Hargroder as Racehorse Spokesman
- Mary Soderbergh as Document Delivery Woman
- Juan Carlos Lazarus as Elmo's Beating Victim
- Molly McKenzie as Palm Reader
- Ronnie Stutes, Deborah Hardy, Murphy F. Bell, Jr. as Lawyers
- Stephanie L. Williams as Dr. Korchek's Receptionist
- Laurie Childers as Dental Patient
- John Mese as Depressed Guy
- Chris Robertson as Happy Golf Guy
- Robert Cane as Mr. Martinez
- Trip Hamilton as Dr. Korchek's Brother
- Ann Hamilton as Schwitters' Wife
- Linda Nitsch as Schwitters Fanatic
- Ted McGeehee as Cop #1
- Ward Blackwell as Cop #2
- Kristin McCallister as Schwitters' Assistant
- Motoshi Nakatani as Japanese Voice
- Alain Levasseur as French Voice
- Gabrielle Chiocca as Italian Voice
- Francis Cagle as Eileen Harriet Polglase
[edit] Production
Schizopolis was shot on a budget of only $250,000. Due to Soderbergh's desire to keep the film simple, many people had multiple duties (i.e. David Jensen played Elmo Oxygen as well as being the casting director and key grip) and many friends and relatives were hired in various capacities.
Soderbergh began filming with no script. He simply wrote lines prior to shooting each scene and allowed improvisation as well.
[edit] Interpretations
At the beginning of the film, Soderbergh speaks to the audience in a style meant to evoke Cecil B. DeMille's intro to The Ten Commandments.[citation needed] He jokes, "In the event that you find certain sequences or ideas confusing, please bear in mind that this is your fault, not ours. You will need to see the picture again and again until you understand everything."
Several interpretations have been suggested[citation needed], claiming that the film is exploring certain themes. One such theme is lack of communication: Munson and his wife only engage in templates of speech, such as "Generic greeting!" and "Generic greeting returned!" Another theme is the idea of social restraint versus internal thought: at Lester Richards' funeral, the priest begins the eulogy: "Lester Richards is dead, and aren't you glad it wasn't you?" Interpretations differ greatly, though, and the narrative jokes about its own apparent lack of meaning; at one point in the middle of the film a short message appears, stating "IDEA MISSING."
Each day in the film ends with a news report. An example is the following:
- "A New Mexico woman was named Final Arbiter of Taste and Justice today, ending God's lengthy search for someone to straighten this country out. Eileen Harriet Palglace will have final say on every known subject, including who should be put to death, what clothes everyone should wear, what movies suck, and whether bald men who grow ponytails should still get laid."
In the DVD commentary, the filmmakers point out that the reports never have anything to do with the story, and are generally satirical in nature.
"Eventualism", a fictional self-help company/religion/lifestyle which figures prominently in the film, has been seen by several film critics and viewers as a light-hearted reference to L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology.
[edit] Language
Sayings of Elmo Oxygen and their English equivalents:
- "Nose army" - "Hello"
- "Sneeze" - "Cheers!"
- "Smell sign" - "Goodbye"
- "Landmine?" - propositioning for sex
- "Ambassador jumpsuit landmine!" - enthusiastic acceptance of sexual proposition (i.e. "Hell yes!"?)
[edit] Responses
Schizopolis was given only a limited theatrical release, as it was considered too odd for mainstream audiences. However, the film has found a small but appreciative audience and was recently included in the Criterion Collection, a specialist film distributor that markets what it considers to be "important classic and contemporary films" and "cinema at its finest".[1].
The film was poorly received at the Cannes Film Festival, where it ran as a film surprise. This prompted the filmmakers to add the Cecil B. DeMille inspired introduction and conclusion in the theater as a way to signal to the viewers that the film was "ironical and self-serving" [1].
[edit] External links
- Schizopolis at the Internet Movie Database
- Schizopolis on Criterion
- Criterion Collection essay by Dennis Lim
[edit] References
- ^ John Hardy, Schizopolis Criterion Collection commentary track, chapter 42
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