Schizopolis
Encyclopedia
Schizopolis is an experimental comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh
in 1996 with a non-linear narrative
.
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 are saying.
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.
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 will 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 cannot and that his brother should not be dealing with the drug dealers anyway. The brother tries to see it from this perspective, but they cannot 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.
He leaves this note on her door and goes home. Once there, he sees a car parked in the driveway. It is 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 is not going to work out. Mrs. Munson 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.
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 does not 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. Schwitters survives, however, and Oxygen is arrested. After nonsensical ranting he exposes his crotch in a police interrogation.
The movie ends with a pair of monologues. First, Munson is seen in a shopping mall narrating the events of the rest of his life — his wife will leave him and he will drunkenly collapse in Alaska
and freeze to death. Then, Soderbergh returns and asks if there are any questions regarding the end of the film. The camera pulls back and reveals he's talking to an empty auditorium.
Soderbergh began filming with no script. He simply wrote lines prior to shooting each scene and allowed improvisation as well.
introduction to The Ten Commandments
. 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, 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:
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.
, 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".
, and a "mixed or average reviews" descriptor at Metacritic
. Leonard Maltin
gave the film a rating of three stars out of four, and wrote in his Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide
, "A broad-ranging jab at modern society and its ills, its tone arch, its technique one of non sequiturs, and its audience likely to be small. But if you latch onto it early enough, you may find (as we did) that it's fun — and funny — to watch."
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
in 1996 with a non-linear narrative
Nonlinear (arts)
Nonlinear narrative, disjointed narrative or disrupted narrative is a narrative technique, sometimes used in literature, film, hypertext websites and other narratives, wherein events are portrayed out of chronological order...
.
Synopsis
Although the film does not have a linear plot, a skeletal structure exists, telling the same story from three different perspectives.Segment 1
The film's main character is Fletcher Munson (played by Soderbergh), an office employee working under Theodore Azimuth Schwitters, the leader of a self-help company/religion/lifestyle known as Eventualism, a clear reference to L. Ron HubbardL. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
and Scientology
Scientology
Scientology is a body of beliefs and related practices created by science fiction and fantasy author L. Ron Hubbard , starting in 1952, as a successor to his earlier self-help system, Dianetics...
. 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 are 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
Richard Lester
Richard Lester is an American film director based in Britain. Lester is notable for his work with The Beatles in the 1960s and his work on the Superman film series in the 1980s.-Early years and television:...
) 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.
Segment 2
The second segment follows the doppelganger, one Dr. Jeffrey Korchek. Korchek is a conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
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
Muzak
Muzak Holdings LLC is a company based in metro Fort Mill, South Carolina, United States, just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1934, Muzak Holdings is best known for distribution of background music to retail stores and other companies....
.
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 will 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 cannot and that his brother should not be dealing with the drug dealers anyway. The brother tries to see it from this perspective, but they cannot 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 is 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 is not going to work out. Mrs. Munson 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
Sexual harassment
Sexual harassment, is intimidation, bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors. In some contexts or circumstances, sexual harassment is illegal. It includes a range of behavior from seemingly mild transgressions and...
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.
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 disaffection, Dr. Korchek's affection, the day-to-day routine of being a mom. The action follows roughly the same events, except that Fletcher and his doppelganger speak Japanese, Italian or French, with the cultural stereotype of each nationality reflecting Mrs Munson's perception of the men. 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 does not 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. Schwitters survives, however, and Oxygen is arrested. After nonsensical ranting he exposes his crotch in a police interrogation.
The movie ends with a pair of monologues. First, Munson is seen in a shopping mall narrating the events of the rest of his life — his wife will leave him and he will drunkenly collapse in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and freeze to death. Then, Soderbergh returns and asks if there are any questions regarding the end of the film. The camera pulls back and reveals he's talking to an empty auditorium.
Credits
The film has no beginning or end credits. There is a single frame of copyright information at the end of the film.Cast
- Steven SoderberghSteven SoderberghSteven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
as Fletcher Munson / Dr. Jeffrey Korchek - Betsy BrantleyBetsy BrantleyBetsy Brantley is an American actress.Brantley was born Rutherfordton, North Carolina. She is the older sister of producer/screenwriter Duncan Brantley, and formerly married to Simon Dutton and Steven Soderbergh....
as Mrs. Munson / Attractive Woman #2 - David Jensen as Elmo Oxygen
- Mike Malone as T. Azimuth Schwitters
- Eddie JemisonEddie JemisonEdward F. "Eddie" Jemison is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles in the Ocean's Eleven trilogy and the television series Hung.-Life and career:...
as Nameless Numberhead Man - Scott Allen as Right-Hand Man
- Katherine LaNasa as Attractive Woman #1
- Mary Soderbergh as Document Delivery Woman
- Trip Hamilton as Dr. Korchek's Brother
- Ann Hamilton as Schwitters' Wife
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. Betsy Brantley, who plays Mrs. Munson, is Steven Soderbergh's ex-wife in real-life.Soderbergh began filming with no script. He simply wrote lines prior to shooting each scene and allowed improvisation as well.
Interpretations
At the beginning of the film, Soderbergh speaks to the audience in a style meant to evoke Cecil B. DeMille'sCecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
introduction to The Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments (1956 film)
The Ten Commandments is a 1956 American epic film that dramatized the biblical story of the Exodus, in which the Hebrew-born Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince, becomes the deliverer of the Hebrew slaves. The film, released by Paramount Pictures in VistaVision on October 5, 1956, was directed by...
. 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, 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.
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!"?)
Release
Schizopolis was given a limited theatrical release, as it was considered too odd for mainstream audiences. The film found an appreciative small audience and was included in the Criterion Collection, a specialist film distributor. The film was poorly received at the Cannes Film FestivalCannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, where it ran as a film surprise. This prompted the filmmakers to add the Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil B. DeMille
Cecil Blount DeMille was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. He was renowned for the flamboyance and showmanship of his movies...
inspired introduction and conclusion in the theater as a way to signal to the viewers that the film was "ironical and self-serving".
Critical reception
Reviews of the film were mixed; it received a 59% rating at review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
, and a "mixed or average reviews" descriptor at Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
gave the film a rating of three stars out of four, and wrote in his Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide is a book-format collection of movie capsule reviews that began in 1969 and has been updated yearly since 1978. It was originally called TV Movies, which became Leonard Maltin's TV Movies and Video Guide, which then became Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide...
, "A broad-ranging jab at modern society and its ills, its tone arch, its technique one of non sequiturs, and its audience likely to be small. But if you latch onto it early enough, you may find (as we did) that it's fun — and funny — to watch."
External links
- Schizopolis, at Criterion
- Script, at Script-o-rama