Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Two Takes By William Greaves [2 Discs] [Criterion Collection]

Director: William Greaves

Overview

This odd film was shot in 1967 but wasn't released until 1991. The reality of the production is quite amazing. The director, who up until then had only filmed documentaries, decided that he wanted to provoke his actors and crew beyond their level of tolerance so that they would in some fashion hijack his production. Ostensibly, they are filming an arty story called "Over the Cliff," which shows the same scene of a split between husband and wife as played by five different couples from a variety of different angles. Eventually the (secretly anticipated) revolt does happen, and the cast and crew film their late-night sessions in which they discuss what can be done to save the movie. Their uncensored and quite intelligent comments were then included in the completed film along with the footage of the continuing saga of the endlessly filmed marital break-up. While the set-up is nothing like that of the contemporaneous television show Candid Camera, reviewers professed discomfort in viewing the cold manipulations which led to the desired result.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/05/2006
UPC:	0715515021029
Original Release:	1968
Source:	CRITERION
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	2:54:00
Sales rank:	33,908

Special Features

Disc one: Symbiopsychotaxiplasm Take One:; New, high-definition digital transfer; Discovering William Greaves, a new documentary on Greave's career, featuring Greaves, his wife and coproducer Louis Archambault, actress Ruby Dee, filmmaker St. Clair Bourne, and film scholar Scott MacDonald; Theatrical trailer; Optional English subtitles for the deaf and the hard of hearing; Disc two: Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 1/2; New digital transfer; New video interview with Steve Buscemi; Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing; Plus:; A booklet featuring a new essay by critic Amy Taubin and production notes by Greaves for Take One

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Patricia Ree Gilbert	Actor
Don Fellows	Actor
Jonathan Gordon	Actor
Robert Rosen	Actor
William Greaves	Actor
Susan Anspach	Actor
Miles Davis	Composer
Johnny Pearson	Composer

Technical Credits

William Greaves	Producer
Jonathan Gordon	Sound/Sound Designer

Scene Index

Disc #1 -- Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One
1. The Couples/Opening Credits [7:33]
2. Film This Film Being Filmed [3:51]
3. "Over the Cliff" [5:25]
4. Actor and Director [1:57]
5. Secret Meeting [4:44]
6. Bill, the Director [4:15]
7. Freddie and Alice [5:46]
8. "I'd Just Like to Act Better" [3:39]
9. Bill, the Director [4:56]
10. Faggy Fag, Butch Fag, or Straight [5:16]
11. The Actress Breaks [4:09]
12. An Experiment? [4:54]
13. Crew Confronts Bill [4:22]
14. Singing the Script [3:40]
15. "Who's Mving Whom?" [8:05]
16. Final Couple/End Credits [2:26]
17. Color Bars [:15]
1. A Career to Be Mined [1:18]
2. Harlem and Acting [9:13]
3. Canada [7:29]
4. The Director in America [4:06]
5. An Established Filmmaker [7:48]
6. Films As a Social Force [3:39]
7. The Symbio Experiments [18:38]
8. Thirty-Five Years Later: Take 2 1/2 [8:24]
Disc #2 -- Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 1/2
1. Introductions/Credits [5:40]
2. Alice Does Her Makeup [3:56]
3. "You Have So Many Skins" [6:24]
4. Secret Debates [2:27]
5. Role Playing [6:29]
6. "From Reality to Reality of the Scene" [6:44]
7. Seizing the Medium [5:04]
8. Q&A [6:56]
9. The New and the Old Meet [4:26]
10. "Who's That Cameraman?" [3:14]
11. "Stand By, Roll It, Action...Cut" [3:42]
12. Thirty-Five Years Later [3:48]
13. Blocking [3:19]
14. Director's Agenda [4:48]
15. Old Emotions and Self-Control [5:37]
16. "We're Going to Do Psychodrama" [6:37]
17. "Are You Freddie Now or What?" [6:13]
18. "This Is Bullshit!" [3:19]
19. Reconciliation [3:01]
20. Meeting Jamilla [2:37]
21. End Credits [3:47]
22. Color Bars [1:17]

Menu

Disc #1 -- Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One
Play the Movie
Chapters
Discovering William Greaves
Theatrical Trailer
Play
Disc #2 -- Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 1/2
Play the Movie
Chapters
Steve Buscemi Interview
Play

Editorial Reviews

O’Connell’s book is painstakingly and rigorously researched. The task he sets himself is to assess the reasons why successive presidents over the last half century or more have consistently reverted to what he calls “religious rhetoric” to try to convince an increasingly skeptical citizenry that the president’s actions are sincere, as well as ethically and morally well-founded. . . . This is a thought provoking and interesting book, of particular use to students of American democracy and the role of the president in that process.” —Jeffrey Haynes, Democratization “American presidents have drawn on religious themes since Washington’s presidency, long before Theodore Roosevelt described the president’s unique perch as a “bully pulpit.” In God Wills It, O’Connell (Dickinson College) takes a refreshing look at presidential religious rhetoric, arguing that it is often more than mere decoration meant to evoke a shared cultural legacy. Religious rhetoric, O’Connell argues, is used by presidents “trying to strategically accomplish their agendas.” In short, religious rhetoric is employed to guide public opinion regarding important policy goals. The question at the heart of O’Connell’s work is whether presidents have been successful in using religious rhetoric in this manner. O’Connell pursues an answer by examining the religious rhetoric of post-WW II presidents and closes his work with a fascinating experiment in the efficacy of religiously themed speech. Overall, O’Connell’s surprising results challenge simplistic conventional wisdom regarding Americans’ receptiveness to religious appeals from the White House. . . . Summing Up: Highly recommended.” —P. F. Campbell, Choice “God Wills It contains much valuable analysis of how, when, and why post-World War II presidents employed religious rhetoric to help accomplish important political objectives.” —Gary Scott Smith, The University Bookman “Whether closing an address with “God bless America,” or talking about their faith, presidents don’t hesitate to inject religious language and references into their speech. In God Wills It: Presidents and the Political Use of Religion, David O’Connell examines several cases in which presidents have used religious speech. . . . O’Connell’s strength in the writing of God Wills It is the contextualization of the speeches he covers. By focusing on one crisis or event, he provides a well-rounded picture of the historical setting. . . . The survey of public opinion polls and editorial responses—demonstrates a strong ability to quantify subjective data, and clearly illustrates the argument O’Connell makes. . . . [Of] interest to academics in the field of political science, church-state studies, and related field.” —Paul Mastin, readdingglutton.blogspot.com “This sharply original contribution, to our understanding of when, how, and to what effect presidents use language and thoughts that resonate with Biblical references and evoke key religious beliefs and values, illuminates our understanding of the rhetorical presidency. This is a riveting book full of rich case material and surprising findings, especially those that concern the scope and the limitations of such talk for mobilizing support for public policies that presidents desire.” —Ira I. Katznelson, Columbia University “A well written and researched study about an important topic. The results will surprise many, and should stimulate discussion and debate among political scientists, sociologists, and scholars of communications.” —Clyde Wilcox, Georgetown University “This book is important reading for anyone interested in how American presidents have attempted to lead public opinion and how difficult that is. The author engagingly and persuasively uses case studies and a compelling experiment to show definitively, as I see it, that religious appeals are not likely to be an effective strategy in attempting to change people’s minds. Such appeals may have their place to steady or bolster the nation during crises or other anxious times, but they are not good tools for overcoming public resistance to policies that presidents wish to pursue.” —Robert Y. Shapiro, Columbia University “Religious rhetoric can bring us together (communitarian) or divide us (coalitional). On the latter David O’Connell has unearthed a paradox wrapped in a dilemma. The paradox is that presidents rarely make public appeals using overtly religious rhetoric, despite the well-known fact that the United States is the most religious among the industrialized countries. In tracking religious rhetoric from Truman through Bush-II, O’Connell find only nine distinct episodes confined to four policy domains: foreign affairs (Eisenhower and Reagan trashing those godless Communists; both Bushes rationalizing just wars), civil rights (JFK and LBJ), scandals (Ford and Clinton), and the environment (Carter). Curiously the Quaker Nixon and Bible-belt Truman never exploited religious rhetoric for strategic political purposes. The dilemma is that religious rhetoric is wholly ineffective in helping presidents achieve their goals of increased popularity, media support, and congressional success. So why bother? When do presidents use religious rhetoric and why are those sectarian appeals not effective? The bottom line is that religious rhetoric doomed each effort at presidential leadership because it was a desperate act of last resort during a ‘crisis’ period. O’Connell’s analysis gives added weight to those scholarly doubts that presidential rhetoric has much, if any, impact on politics or policy. God Wills It is a must read for all presidential scholars, students of political communications, and religion and politics devotees.” —Raymond Tatalovich, Loyola University Chicago

From the Publisher