Review of Schizopolis (1997) by Samuel P — 11 Jul 2009

Steven Soderbergh's revelatory mindfuck that is Schizopolis is brilliant, scathing and downright befuddling. I can't help but think that in its most unadulterated understanding, it can be seen as representative of American culture, in that our lives are riddled with schizophrenic and counterfactual ideals, to which we actively attend, but only passively recognize.

It's certainly something, whether what I have written holds true or not, and it's worth watching if only to be delighted by its instinct to abandon the viewer, remorselessly.

Schizopolis, I believe, is allegorical in the sense that it best represents the contemporary (and advancing) state of the American cinematheque, in that the messages created in contemporary films are so varied and strange, driven by a want and need to purely produce revenue, that it's saying just as much about the creative process to create total nonsense and jibberish in a film than to shovel mediocrity into our mainstream and money out of our wallets.

Definitely a new favorite. It's on the list.