Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take 2 1/2 (2005) - full transcript

One other thing. And that
is the problem of matching.

We should all
wear the same shirt.

I veto that absolutely.

Everybody is gonna be
sweating like pigs out there.

How do we put on these shirts?
They're gonna be like armor.

Okay. All right.

This is Clive Davidson over
here. He's an assistant cameraman.

Phil Parker is our
production assistant.

Uh, Jeff Norwalk is an
- uh, assistant director.

Uh, Roland Mitchell is
not a soundman actually.

He is a soundman, but he's
also an assistant cameraman.



This is Steve Larner

and this is Maria Zaheri.

And this is the magnificent
Terence Macartney-Filgate.

You may not have got your sync,
so I'm gonna give you a - a handclap.

- I feel you may not have got it.
- And who are you?

I'm, uh, Sonny Tufts.

Uh, this is, uh, Bill Henderson.
He's an assistant director.

-This is the
illustrious - -Hello.

Uh, Robert - Is it
Rossen or Rosen?

- Rosen.
- Rosen.

-And this is the - -I'm Jewish.

The lovely, charming
Barbara Linden.

This is Mr. "Kenvin"
Fenton from Canada.

Who is an assistant director.



- That's the wrong name, by the way, Phil.
- Kevin Fenton?

- No. You said "Kenvin."
- I - Oh.

- "Kenvin."
- Kevin. Kevin. Kevin. Forgive me.

Forgive me, Doctor.

Uh, Barbara Linden is
our script girl and, uh,

also our makeup
and costume lady.

And this is Scott Brody,
who is a production assistant.

All right. So, now,
we're clear on the slating.

The first sequence to
hit the cutting room floor.

Right? You understand that?

That the sound - the sound
person's gonna do the timing -

- the actual timing, uh, slate.
- What good will that do, Bill?

It - What it will
do is that it will tie

all of the various cameras,
no matter what they're -

If I start running at the same time,
you could do that by measuring.

No. But, you see, they'll
begin to go out of sync.

The various cameras will go
out of sync with each other -

out of sync in the sense
that the roll numbers

will be going out of
sync with each other.

You see? And the time

is the thing that locks in all
these disparate roll numbers

into one sequence
that has been shot.

Well, then this information has
somehow gotta get onto the film.

No. It doesn't have to get on the film
because the sound recordist says, um,

"Roll 14, 2:30."

The system of the soundman
announcing what the time is -

No. He's made - No. He's
raised a very important point.

No. But that is - But that is much
more meaningful in terms of editing

than taking this, you know -
this thing here and going... tap.

- "Tail one," you know. "Tail two."
- All right.

But here's the point he's
making, and this is a valid point.

And that is - See,
what we'll do is the -

the first part of each
roll will be so slated.

- Will be time slated on the sound.
- Yeah. Right.

All right. But also,

uh, within the - within the, uh,
intermittent running of the camera -

That is to say, we stop
and start, we stop and start,

we'll just do this
kind of slating.

Yeah. What we're gonna do
is, uh, do a line reading first.

And then we'll, uh -

- What is the line reading?
- Well, we just -

I just want to hear you,
you know, go back and forth,

with the lines,
make sure that, uh,

you know, we've
got that under control.

- Yeah.
- And then after we've done that,

we'll, uh - we'll
try to work out

some kind of
action for you to, uh -

to go through physically.

And, uh - And then we'll
see what the problems -

You'll play the scene. Then
we'll see what the problems are.

Then we'll get into it
increasingly more on a, uh -

what, an emotional
and, you know -

Personal level. You know,

more the dramatics
of the situation.

Okay. Um, Terry, I guess
you can - you can start rolling.

I'm gonna do a line
reading with them.

Yeah. Who do you want
me to work with on the -

Who you gonna work with?

- I'm gonna work with my own recorder?
- Yeah.

No. You'll - You'll work, uh -

You'll work against
another recorder actually.

You don't need to do
any recording of this,

because, uh, I'm just gonna
do a line reading of them.

And there's -
there's no need to-

Which recorder am I
going to work against?

The recorder - I mean,
uh, John here has got -

- All right.
- Hey. I'm picking up the cops.

- You're picking up the cops?
- Yeah.

Are you - Are you
shooting my makeup?

- Yeah.
- Want me to hold it for you, Audrey?

Okay. Fine. All right.

- All right. Okay. Let's go.
- I'm having no luck here.

Is there any way you can
hold it steady for a while?

We're rolling when you
get it. When you finish -

Okay. Let's - Let's run 'em.

- Alice.
- No.

Alice, wait a minute.

- Hey, come on. Come on, sport.
- No, no, no.

What's the matter with you?

Just how stupid
do you think I am?

For Christ's sake, tell
me what the matter is.

You know perfectly
well what the problem is.

Now come on. Quit
beating around the bush.

Oh, God. Oh.

- What's so funny?
- Oh, Freddie, you're a very funny man.

You know, you've really
got me foxed. Really.

Why don't you just go away.

Just get out of my life
permanently, Freddie.

Hey. Quit it. Stop acting.

- Ow.
- Don't you try and touch me, Freddie.

You're really behaving quite
impossibly. I'm not a mind reader.

I wish I were.

I wish I knew what goes on in
that screwy little brain of yours

which makes you think that
everyone else is stupid except you.

Now look. For the last time,
will you tell me what's going on?

Come on. Tell me
what's bugging you.

No.

Ah, you tell me, Freddie, what -

who - or rather, what's
bothering you, what's bugging you.

Alice, you're
talking in circles.

Am I really, Freddie?

Just how much of a
phony can you be?

I don't have to listen to this. Have the
courtesy to tell me what's happening.

I'm a woman.

- And?
- I'm a woman, Freddie. I'm not a fool.

I will not stand around and watch
while you play your little games.

- What games?
- Do you think I'm a fool, Freddie?

I saw him, and I saw you.

- Him?
- Him. Yes.

That crazy faggot which
everybody knows about.

Oh, come on. What are you?
Some kind of nut or something?

Don't play naive
with me, Freddie.

I've put up with all your little escapades
and, you know, I've just about had it.

You've completely strained
my patience on that score.

I saw you eyeing him, and
I saw him eyeing you. God.

- You saw me eyeing him?
- Yes.

The kid smiled at me and I smiled
back. You want to nail me to the cross?

A cross is too good
for you, Freddie.

Oh, wow. Now look.

You didn't see what
you thought you saw.

- Did you hear me?
- Get your hands off me, Freddie.

All right. If you want to be
paranoidal about the whole thing.

Sure, I want to be paranoidal
about the whole thing.

And about all those other things
that you've been involved with.

You know, like Jack and Timmy.

- And Mr. Handsome.
- I told you the truth about this morning.

But if you're gonna flog me with the past
the rest of our lives, then where are we?

I don't know where
you're at, mister.

I just know that I want
you to get out of my life.

When we get back to the
apartment, one of us has to leave.

Hey, baby. I can't
let you do that.

Now I know why we
haven't had any children,

despite the talk about
"wait until we're ready."

Freddie, you really
had me fooled.

Very fooled into thinking
you could change.

That you could actually change.

- Bill.
- Yeah.

- I need to call for a slate.
- Okay.

This is, uh, tail
slate for camera...

"B" and camera "C."

If I was born a - If was born a thousand
years from now, and just me - me -

I could be the same person,
though I would not be an American,

I might not be a Jew, I might
not be, you know... whatever I am.

But I would still be me, and I would
have to be able to define those qualities.

I'm me, what I am to other people
and how I relate to them and how I am.

And the karma that comes
out of me. That's who I am.

- That really is who I am.
- You have so many skins

you never know whether you're into
your real self or into one of your skins.

Oh, you don't know
who she is. Here is this -

You know who you are now because you're
on Ektachrome - What are you shooting?

- Ektachrome commercial.
- Ektachrome commercial.

And your voice is being
recorded on tape. Say you know -

Wait a minute. What's going
on here? What are you doing?

You will never, ever - Put
the microphone up here.

What's happening?

You will never, ever have
any more doubt who you are.

You will always know.

Jonathan, you're copping
out. You're copping out.

All right. We're gonna do - No.
Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Just a moment. Please. We're
gonna do this scene of, uh - Susan.

And, John, could you go
down there down by the statue?

- Four?
- Four. She's got it on there. Four.

- Bing. That was a slate.
- You did it.

I like doing it, 'cause it'll let
me look at your face again.

- You head slated it.
- Which is why I'm tail slating it.

Whoo! Whoo!

Uh, Steve. Steve. Wait a
minute. Wait a minute, Steve.

Steve, wait a
minute. Let's - Let -

I don't care about
getting in the cloister.

- Let's get the bloody cloister.
- I can't hold the sky.

- The sky. Not the cloister.
- So I have to be wide open -

I have to be so open for them
that - You know, that's f/11 up there.

- 'Cause we can't - The tripod legs.
- The damn tripod leg is busted.

- They won't extend?
- Yes. That's why. That's why.

Well, then I'm afraid the -

the best thing to do would be to
put the bloody thing on your shoulder.

Two magazine cases
with a spreader?

Three cases with a spreader.

Just take it easy a moment. Uh -

- All right.
- What's happening?

We're gonna fix it.

Okay.

But the thing that distresses me, Steve
- We still haven't solved the problem.

Terry is looking
right into your lens.

And I don't want him looking in
your lens. Not on this - this, uh -

-Well, Terry, can you -
-Well, then I won't shoot then.

Well, I'll shoot the
bloody thing. I mean, hell.

- Where would you like me to move?
- Uh -

- I'm happy to move.
- He'll move.

I'll move. Look into my lens and
tell me, Greaves, what's in your heart.

- Come on. Now tell me the truth.
- Tell him. Tell. Now.

What's in your mind? Tell me your
wishes, and they'll be carried out.

Cut. I'm waving my
magic wand. Hey, listen.

- Well, he - he hasn't -
-He's running up all that film.

-Has he got any - -You know
how much that's gonna cost?

- You know you're wasting my film?
- That's like $25.

- Hey, listen.
- Twenty-five dollars.

-Maybe I can, uh -
-Do your Shakespeare.

Shall I do my impersonation
of Gielgud doing -

Quick. Quickly.

Oh, what a rogue and
peasant slave am I!

Is it not monstrous
that this player here

could but in a fiction,
in a dream of passion -

force his soul so
to his own conceit -

that from her working
all his visage waned -

Beautiful!

Okay. All right. Look.
Uh, let's - let's, uh -

Are those the same, uh, glasses
that you had the other day?

Uh, yeah. Why don't
we get rid of those, eh?

Um, now, um -

-In the last time that we
worked on this - -Mm-hmm.

It seemed to me that, uh...

not enough of your aggression,

not enough of your virility,
you know, was coming through.

That is to say, there's a great deal
of - You know, it was very moving.

You were very emotionally
involved, you know, with her,

but, uh, it seemed that
we could use other colors

as well as that particular color of
your - your warm feelings toward her.

Let's also have the
areas where you're

aggressively, you
know, related toward her.

Do you know what I mean?
Um, there are - there are...

points in the dialogue
where she's actually,

you know, sniffing
your balls, and, uh -

and you've gotta stand up for
your own rights in relation to her.

I didn't feel that there was enough,
you know, muscle there, enough strength.

- You know what I mean?
- Yeah.

So let's - let's, uh -

Let's run it down and see if we
can get some more of those colors in

as well as the other thing,

which was beautiful, Frank,
that you got before, okay?

I mean, I don't mean to, you
know, throw that away at all. No.

I mean, we'll keep that. But add
to that these other colors. Okay?

All right. Let's try it from -

Uh, you can't go outside
of the, uh - the shaded area.

Okay. Okay. Fine. Let's go.

Action.

Now I know why you don't
want to have any children,

despite the talk about
"wait until we're ready."

Oh, wow, you really
had me fooled, Freddie,

to even think that
you could change.

I want you to believe in
me. Do you understand that?

You've killed one of my
babies right after another,

and you want me
to believe in you?

Don't you think that I
want to have children too?

You've ruined my health
because you're sick,

but I will not let
you destroy me.

The way we've been
making love lately -

We'll never have any
children like that, Freddie.

- The whole thing is so unnatural.
- Alice -

Because every time you make love
to me, I feel as though I've been raped.

- Jesus Christ almighty.
- I don't know who wouldn't be frigid

the way you come on like
some Nazi storm trooper.

All right. Look, uh, Frank,
what I'm trying to get you to do -

It's horrible. Oh, my
God. It's so horrible!

- No. Take it easy. Take it easy.
- Jesus Christ.

Well, the point
in all this, I think,

is the fact that maybe something else
should be done than what is being done.

Don't you see? None
of this is designed to -

to denigrate any aspect
of which this film is -

We don't have the right to
do that. It's this guy's film.

Bill has made us actors in the
film by including us in the filming.

- Is that why you
consider - -Exactly. Exactly.

- But we are acting without him in control.
- That's true.

Why, for example,
should there not be -

'Cause there's some doubt as
to what this all - he's putting on.

A better - better actors?

If they were better, then I
think that would be bad then.

- Doesn't make any difference.
- I'm trying to take his objection and, uh,

if it is invalid, show why.

I mean, it - starting from
this standpoint you could say,

"Let's get a better script. Let's
improve the script for tomorrow.

- "Let's get some better actors."
- Right.

- "Let's get some really socko actors."
- We realize that it doesn't matter.

- All right. Now, why doesn't it matter?
- It doesn't matter because

-in life - -Right.

In life, some of us are good actors,
and some of us are bad actors.

Some - Some of us, you know -

- Some women can - can
say - -Is life acting then?

- Well, life for most
people - -Freddie - Freddie -

- Wait a second.
- Life for most people is the attempt

to give with whatever
qualities they have -

real meaning to, um -

to - to thoughts and lines that
they may not really understand.

When a guy says,
"You're cutting my balls off,"

he can't possibly be
saying what he really thinks.

It's not in him to say what
he really thinks. He is acting.

What could be more elemental than
saying, "Dear, you are cutting my balls"?

Because everybody says it in
different ways of believability.

But when you cut it
down to this nitty-gritty of

"You are cutting my balls," you
can't get it down much further.

- Quiet, please!
- Quiet.

- Action.
- From where?

Uh, take it from the top,
uh - Take it from the top.

Alice.

No.

- Alice, wait a minute.
- Uh, let's - let's - Hold that.

Uh, you've changed your positions.
Let's take it around this way, okay?

You were standing
here. Okay. Fine.

All right. Now, we're
not moving. Is that it?

No. Unfortunately.

Alice.

No.

Oh, wow. Alice,
what's the matter?

You know perfectly well
what is the matter, Freddie.

Uh -

Come on, sport.

Just how stupid do
you think I am, Freddie?

You know, I don't have to
stand here and listen to this.

You don't even have the
courtesy to tell me what's going on.

Listen. For Christ's sake,
would you give us a break?

I'm a woman, Freddie.

So what difference does it make?

An enormous amount of
difference, because in one thing,

you're talking about
an irreducible truth,

and in another instance, you might
be talking about some sort of fantasy,

-uh, whereby - -What's
an irreducible truth?

Uh, "You're cutting
my balls" or whatever.

Why? Do people
really have to say that?

- Is it necessary to say that?
- Yes. They have to say that.

-'Cause once - -Is it necessary
that they feel that way?

I mean, why is it
an irreducible truth?

But don't you see?
The man who says -

The man says this to his wife.

That's part of his role too, you know.
As long as he can say this to his wife.

She won't understand what the hell he's
saying. She'll hear, "You cut my balls."

Then she gives out with the response
that was written into her part in life.

She says, "Well, maybe that's because
you're just a bad," you know, this.

"Maybe you're an
ineffectual little -"

- The fact you're
saying that - -See?

- You're playing a part in saying that.
- Oh.

You're falling into a
trap there that the -

Oh, you mean that would not be
the response of any given woman

to that accusation
by any given man?

What else would she say?

Would she say, "Yes. You
know, you're right. I love to do it."

I did it to my first
three husbands too.

If roles are to be played
and if life is role-playing,

uh, which is, of course,
the whole big bag -

you know, the Moreno people can
explain more knowledgeably than any of us.

Um -

This is precisely the question
I was asking. What then -

not to get this off too far -

What then is the
difference between

an actor playing a role -

and playing an imposed role - a
role that's imposed from without -

and a person who is a nonactor -

That is to say a person who's
not employed as an actor -

or not asked to do something for
a camera or something like that -

playing a role which he
thinks is imposed on him

from whatever psychological
need he might have at this moment.

Um -

All right. So -

What we're doing now - We're
gonna do another psychodrama.

And that psychodrama's
gonna be what exactly?

Freddie confronting Freddie.

- The strong Freddie
- -Passive and -

- confronting the weak Freddie.
- Yeah. Right. Right.

- The strong Freddie...
- confronting the weak Freddie.

See, the important thing
is, as I said, before you start,

is masculinity and virility

as opposed to, you know, raw
aggression and raw hostility.

- Do you know what I mean, Frank?
- Yes, I do.

The way you take - The way you
are in full command of the situation,

it's no longer necessary for
you to be, you know, aggressive.

- Right.
- You know, in relation to it.

- Okay.
- Now, uh,

we should be, I think,
visually opposite each other,

- but do you want us down or up
or - -Well, you could go down there,

or if you - Yeah.

Sy, you'll have to get out
of the way, my dear man.

He's out there intentionally.
I've got to have him in the shot.

Well, it's all right.

Well, why don't you -

Why don't you walk over to
that wall over there and jump off?

- I haven't got the strength.
- Oh, bullshit. Try. Want me to help you?

You want to fight
me? Let's fight.

- Let's fight.
- What do you want to do? Fight?

- Yeah.
- You want to wrestle?

Let's fight.

If you're so strong, fight.

What are you laughing at?

I'm laughing at you. You're struggling
to get free, and you can't get free.

You want to move,
and you can't move.

I feel like I'm taking unfair advantage
of you 'cause you're off-balance.

It's gonna be so easy. Look.

Not that way.

Which fucking way?

Jesus Chri -

I'll win.

- I'll win.
- Oh, yeah?

You don't fight
very hard, do ya?

Fight harder.

Fight harder.

Fight harder. Go on. Fight
harder. Fight harder. Go on.

Go ahead. Go ahead.

Oh, come on.

Come on.

-If you really live - -Shh.

You'll go -

-and do something
with your - -You what?

If you really live, you'll go get
Alice and do something with her.

Otherwise I live.
Otherwise I win.

- No. Shut up.
- You can fight me a million times,

and I'll always win.

- Shut up. Shut up.
- I'll always win!

Look how strong I am.
You just play with me.

You don't fight.
You never kill me.

You think you do, but you don't.

You think you've won, right?

Don't you?

Cut.

- Let's, uh -
-Gotta slate these.

Let's try and, uh - Let's -

Marcia, you want to get up?
Here. Watch out for your transmitter.

Oh. Okay. Um -

Someone give me
another sync start.

Marcia was working very
intimately, and she was contacting -

- Second start.
- She hit my -

She hit dead on the
thing that I was working on.

It was like an arrow went -

You know, it was
like - And that -

I think having, um,

explored this
whole thing in depth,

uh, through the
agency of psychodrama,

it would be very interesting
now to return to the scene -

I was talking to Marcia
about this - return to the scene,

uh, and see what new

qualitative values have been
added to your characterizations

as a result of the
removal of certain blocks

and the increase of certain

bases of empathy that you
now have for each other.

Uh, I was wondering
whether or not

the conflict of the two
characters would be

more interestingly -

- Different dimensions.
- Yeah. Illuminated.

Do you know what I mean? So what
we're doing now is we're going from -

- Improvisation to the scene.
- Improvisation to the scene.

Well, we're gonna start on the
scene, and then we're gonna use -

We're gonna go from psychodrama -
from reality to the reality of the scene.

- Right.
- And see how

and if they can in fact, you know,
feed each other. You know what I mean?

- Slate. Slate.
- Slate for camera "B."

- Tail slate.
- Slate on this one here.

No. This is
proceeding very well.

Look. This is your first,
you know, go on this.

And let's not have
any neuroticism.

This was very, very, very
effective. You know, very effective.

Uh, it looks beautiful
seeing you come down.

I mean, it's just fantastic. And when
you come down there, you had moments,

you know, of emotional reality,
you know, going for yourself.

And the important thing is not to
panic. There's no reason to panic at all.

I mean, just take your time and,
you know, feel your way through it.

We've got all the time in the
world. You know, if you want to wait

an extra two or three seconds and,
you know, organize your faculties -

- Right.
- Your emotional motors and other things,

take that time, you know,
because we can look at -

Both of you are very
attractive. We can look at you,

you know, while you
- while you're thinking,

while you try and arrive at
some kind of reality for yourself.

- What?
- Yeah. I felt we rushed it and, like -

-This all feels so - -Yeah.
All right. All right. I mean -

There's no need for that.
There's no need for rushing at all.

I mean, take your time. Okay?

- Very good.
- All right? Let's do it another -

Take two. Take two.
Take two of take two.

Check that and see where you're
going again? 'Cause we went off the -

Let's just check the script.

Okay, fine. Where's the script?
Can I have the script, Barbara?

- Six.
- Six.

All right. Here we
go. All right. Stand by.

Quiet, please.
All right. Action.

Action.

- Hey, Alice.
- No.

- Come on, Alice.
- No.

Come on, sport. Just
wait a minute. Come here.

What the hell's the matter with you?
Christ's sake, tell me what the matter is.

Come here.

I don't understand what's
going on. Come here.

Freddie, get away
from me. Please.

- Just how stupid do you think I am?
- Come on. Cut out the double-talk.

Come on!

Freddie, just how
stupid do you think I am?

I don't know what
you're talking about.

You know perfectly well
what I'm talking about.

Well, go ahead. Tell me.

Lookit. I'm not a mind reader.

Freddie, I wish I
were a mind reader.

Perhaps I could... tell what's going
on in that screwy little mind of yours.

What makes you think that everyone
is so stupid and you're so smart?

- You're talking in circles, Alice.
- Am I really, Freddie?

Just how much of a
phony are you anyway?

Don't touch me.

Please tell me what's going on.

Freddie,

why don't you just get
out of my life permanently.

Now quit it. Stop acting.

Don't touch me.

Freddie, get your
hands off me. Please.

And don't ever touch me again.

- Ever.
- All right. What have I done?

You know perfectly well.

I saw him, and I saw you -

both of you - at the
altar, eyeing each other.

- Him.
- Yes. Him.

Him. That crazy little faggot
that half the church knows about.

- What are you? Some kind of a nut?
- Don't play naive with me, Freddie.

I'm not playing naive.
What do you think you saw?

I've put up with all
your escapades -

- All right.
- And I'm going to put an end to it.

- You've strained my patience.
- I don't know what you thought you saw,

but you didn't see
anything this morning.

You mean I didn't see both
of you eyeing each other?

That kid smiled at me, and I
smiled back. What do you want to do?

- Nail me to the cross for that?
- A cross is too good for you, Freddie.

Wow.

Slate.

- Cut.
- Slate.

- Slate. Uh - -Slate.

- Stop a moment.
- Seven.

- Or is it eight?
- The work will go on.

Terry's still rolling.

All right. Let's go on.

Rolling. Speed.

- All right. Go ahead.
- Camera roll 4X.

Would you turn to her and just, you know
- If somebody out there in the audience

-is now looking at
you, it does - -Right.

And you now say something.

- Okay.
- Listen. I -

- Need to sign this as 4X?
- We got that.

- Okay. Then we're on.
- This morning he said -

Know how he says things with
his tongue in his cheek? He said,

- "Good morning. Who am I?" You see?
- Right.

That's really very interesting - I
don't judge it or anything like that.

I just say it's very interesting. Whatever
a man is, is extremely interesting.

And it occurred to me the other
day that in this case, right here,

Bill is a man with a medium,
but who lacks an identity.

We are people with
identities. At least right now.

In relation to this thing.
But without a medium.

- You're just seizing the medium.
- Like they seized Channel 13.

- And that's a rape.
- It isn't a rape. It's a political -

- It's a - -Coup.

It's a coup. It's an artistic - It's
not a coup. We're giving it back.

- We're giving it back to him.
- That's right.

It would only be rape if we took
this footage off to the laboratory

and developed it ourselves
and put out a film, you know.

- Ran it back to back.
- Right. Without Bill's consent.

We are merely liberating the medium
to impose our own identities on film.

Because film is the
thing. Talk's nothin'.

Now, the people out there
in the audience, you know -

This is without, you know - I mean, they
don't know - This never happened before.

I mean, this is happening - Not only
is it happening to us at this moment,

but every time it gets played in the
theater it's gonna happen to them.

- You know?
- You're saying the method of this film

- reflects the mechanics of life.
- That's right. Exactly.

This is something other than a
film, because a film traditionally

exists where a guy says, "I'm
going to make a film about -"

And he does it. But here's
a film that exists as it exists.

When it's shown, if it's
ever made and shown,

it will take its final form

precisely because an
indeterminate action took place in it,

and altered it and changed
it and made it something -

Yeah. Something else happened.
I have something I want to say.

The thing is -
The thing is it's -

We find ourselves in a very, very
strange situation. You know? And -

- Kill the air-conditioner.
- It's a question of precedent. You know.

Nobody who got into the, you know
- onto the crew here had any idea.

We were put into a completely
unprecedented situation.

I don't think anybody has
ever made a film before

- where the crew decided to do this.
- Yeah.

And we didn't really even
decide. It just happened that way.

And I don't think this has ever
happened before. You know?

It's completely
without precedent.

And the thing is that it's -

that most people
consider that life is -

they live their lives filled
with precedents, you know?

That every situation -
Like those lines. You know?

They do those lines, and if
they've done those lines, you know,

ten times in one
form or another.

Fifty times. You know,
over and over and over.

There's an infinite number of
precedents for that situation.

This situation has no precedent.

And the thing that I'm
discovering, it seems,

is that this is the way
that life really works.

Without precedent. Every
situation is without precedent.

- Or indeterminate. Yes.
- Absolutely indeterminate.

And here we are in this situation of
total indeterminacy where we're uncertain.

- Bill is uncertain. Bill can't tell you.
- Yes. I think -

Ladies and gentlemen,
I hate to interrupt

this very scintillating
discussion, but, uh,

either there is a
God or there isn't.

But whatever. But there are some
clouds coming in this direction.

We'd better get the hell
out of here. Okay? Shall we?

- What are we doing?
- We're wrapping up.

- That's it?
- Yeah. We're wrapping up.

Oh, nice. Wonderful.

It's gonna rain.

Let's go. Grab those machines.

- It's gonna rain.
- Fuck the rain.

Fuck the rain? It's gonna rain. We
can't - The equipment won't function, man.

What do you think, Bob?

Should we close it up? Do you think
it's gonna rain? I think it's gonna rain.

- It's gonna rain bad.
- Get your cases on the truck.

There's a big storm
coming up quick.

Quick. Quick,
quick. Arriflex away.

Batches away. We'll
be struck by lightning.

Okay?

- Just know that I want to do it.
- Yes! I know. I know.

Hmm?

What?

Well, what the hell, man?

- That's the whole fallacy of the movies.
- Come on. Let's go.

- You move.
- No. I'm shooting.

- Move. You're gonna get wet.
- I don't care! I want to shoot!

- Come on.
- Shoot the shit, man.

- Huh?
- There's nothing.

I won't get that
lightning. I need a -

Bring me the tripod.
Would you look over here?

- The tripod. Where do you want it?
- Just dump it here.

Let's see.

This is a wonderful way to
end the role, isn't it? It's great.

Excuse me.

Oh, no, just do it
once. Just once.

- Hold it. Fine. Thank you.
- You're welcome.

Bill Greaves and Steve
Buscemi, come back up, please.

I, uh, would like
to say that this -

It's just wonderful to,
uh, have the film accepted

finally after 30
years of waiting.

I don't know. Is there any, uh - Are
there any questions? Any, uh - Any?

No questions? Yes.

What was the reaction of the crew
when you showed them the final -

the final cut?

Well, I didn't show them
the final cut right away.

Uh, but I think there was a -

Well, let's have Jonathan -
What was your reaction to -

Last time I saw this was
about eight years ago.

And I'm finally
detached enough from it -

um, to see it just as a
work without judging myself.

And so I had a new
experience here really.

And, uh,

I mean, I remembered
these emotions really well, Bill.

Um, I do, you know.

I remember the absolutely
authentic frustration with you.

Um, it's just a great
pleasure to watch it,

and to watch this, um -

and to watch this conspiracy,

in which you're
implicated too, you know.

And to just watch this
odd conspiracy, um,

of images and -

Just to watch it occur and to see
the brilliant way in which you took it

and made it into a
work of, I think, art.

And, um - And I remember,
um, the camaraderie,

um, and the skillful -

the skillful camaraderie
that we had as a crew

that gave us that friendly
trust in one another

to be able to deal
with these things.

'Cause those were those times,
you know. We "academized" -

We "academized" this film as
well as did this film, you know.

- So we were all in our own way academic.
- Mm-hmm.

And that was a very nice
thing about those times, I think.

And it's a real pleasure for me.
I don't know what else to say.

- I'm so glad these people are here.
- Any other questions?

When you saw them -

When you saw your crew
talking about you like that -

Very few directors are gonna invite
that. Were you in the editing room alone?

Um -

Well, I was sitting in the
editing room with my son,

who was the assistant
editor, and it was fascinating.

Uh, and, you know, listen.

Uh, we - None of us
like criticism per se,

but, uh, it was
interesting to me because

I realize that this was
the other hand clapping.

In other words, uh,
you don't have a film,

or a stage drama, or
any kind of narrative form,

that does not have conflict
inherent in it of some kind.

And when we finished
shooting, I was a little disturbed

by the fact that I didn't have
enough conflict in the film.

And when I saw this material

that Jonathan and - and
Bob Rosen had put together,

I said, "Hallelujah," you know.

Because I knew that that was
gonna make the film, and so it has.

Are you gonna continue with
those two characters in part two?

- Yes.
- We're gonna do the same dialogue?

Well, "symbiotaxiplasm"
is a term

that was devised and conceived

by a social science philosopher
named Arthur Bentley,

who was a contemporary
of John Dewey.

And he studied
the social sciences

from a scientific
method perspective.

And, um, he called

the symbiotaxiplasm

all those events that life - that
human beings are involved with

which, uh - which impact

their physical, social,
material environment

and which in turn affect their
personalities, their character.

So there's a kind of a dialectic,
a dialogue that goes on between

the individual, the human
being, and his environment.

Like this area here is a
symbiotaxiplasm. Uh, because here we are.

You're affecting me. I'm
affecting you. So on and so forth.

And all of the, uh, developments
that have taken place in social -

in human history is a
result of that interchange.

So I had the audacity to
inject the term "psycho" -

So it's "symbiopsychotaxiplasm"
and that designates,

uh, the mental mechanisms that
are involved in the creative process

as the individual moves
through any given environment.

There are a number of
other very esoteric concerns

that I have in making the film
which I tend not to talk about,

because my wife,
Louise, thinks -

thinks that I'm, you know,
uh, going off the deep end.

But, uh, we have principles like the
Heisenberg principle of uncertainty,

the Stanislavsky
system of acting,

the, uh, chaos theory.

Uh, there's an element
of mysticism involved

of Sri Aurobindo,
one of my gurus.

Uh, there are a number of
things that are operating in this,

concurrent with
this very obvious, uh,

you know, screen test,
which is a very simple event.

Uh, where's Steve? Oh. There.
Did I answer your question?

Yeah, but, I mean, this
film has never been released

and we're doing a sequel
to a film that's never been -

Could I ask you a question
I've been wondering about?

What exactly are you trying to
do, um, with this second thing?

Surely what we're doing at this
festival is not enough to make a film.

- It's a part of a larger vision you have.
- Yeah.

- What is that?
- I don't know.

- Oh.
- We need Bob Rosen here.

You're totally
reliant on the crew.

Again, he's falling back to -

But he's asked an
explosive question,

you know, that goes to
the heart of this production.

- We've got that. But let's - Please.
- Let's move on. Yes. Okay.

No. I quite agree.
We'll move on.

Terry Filgate, you're gonna
be camera number one.

Jerry will be camera number two.

Fred, you're camera
number three.

Linda's number four, and
Mr. Greaves is going to be -

- Bill is gonna be camera number five.
- Occasionally.

Occasionally. When it's
working. When camera five works.

Thank you very much.

Alice. Alice!

- Hi.
- Hi.

How are you? I thought
you'd never get here.

- I've been waiting for hours.
- I told you that I would.

No, but I stood here
for hours and hours.

You sounded so
terrible on the telephone.

- No.
- Really.

- No. I'm fine.
- But you look fine.

I'm great. I'm
dying, but I'm great.

- Oh.
- Come on.

I thought you'd never get here.

I told you I would.

But you sounded so terrible on
the phone. I thought you were ill.

- But you look fine.
- I'm great.

Well, I'm really
glad to hear that.

- I mean, I was worried.
- Yeah?

- Yes.
- You look great.

Well, thank you.
For an old lady.

You don't understand.

You're the most exciting human
spirit I've ever met in my whole life.

Do you understand that?

- Oh, Freddie.
- What? What?

This is something that I -

that you get in Germany as well.

- Really?
- Yes.

In Germany it's
now - It's also red.

It's also green. It's also
orange and everything.

- Really?
- But it's incredible.

♪ I stand and watch
the autumn leaves ♪

♪ Falling, falling ♪

♪ Somnolently falling ♪

♪ Je t'aime Je t'aime ♪

♪ Je t'aime, mon
amour Je t'aime ♪

- Can you believe this?
- Yes.

Isn't this a magical place? Hmm?

So? Hmm?

Oh, thank you. Oh.

Come on.

It's - You know what it is?
It's like - It's like enchanted.

- It is enchanted. It's magical.
- I mean, look at that. You know?

It's - Jesus Christ.

- It's like everything is alive.
- Not "like." Everything is alive.

- Right.
- Cut.

Uh, you've gotta - They're
gonna be sitting here.

You have to get out of here.

Could you folks, uh,
get over on this side?

Hi, puppy.

- Uh, Shannon, Audrey.
- Hello.

And then where's the - Oh, I
see it. Is that the record button?

Yeah.

What's that sound?

Who's this? Who's
this cameraman?

- Um - -The sound
of one hand clapping.

Huh? The sound of - I see.

Who's this cameraman?

He's an import from Brooklyn.

Is he from Brooklyn?
Does he have a passport?

Does he have a - Hey, fella. Have
you got a passport from Brooklyn?

- I don't need a passport, pal.
- I beg your pardon?

You've gotta have a passport to
make a film in Manhattan, you know.

Oh. All right.

- We don't allow - -Actually,
he's from Staten Island.

- Do you have chutzpah?
- Yeah. It's coming.

Oh, good. Wonderful.

Okay. Okay. Here we go.

- Are you Steve Buscemi?
- Yeah.

Oh. Nice to meet you.

- Your film Living in Oblivion. Ah?
- Oh, yeah. Yeah.

- It's the greatest.
- Thank you very much.

What I want to do, first of all, is
do a run-through with the script.

Right.

But what we're going to do is,
we're going to do scene by scene.

- There's six scenes or seven scenes in it.
- Right.

So we're gonna do the run-through
from the script, verbatim to the script,

and then we will - as much
as you can retain of the script,

we're gonna do
just that little section.

- Good. Okay.
- You follow me?

It'll only be like a minute, or a minute
and a half, or two minutes, like that.

- Right. Should I get the script then?
- Get your script. Get -

- I don't have it with me.
- I have - Sorry.

-Okay, so, uh - -A script.

- I wondered if you might change your mind.
- I told you I'd be here.

You know, you sounded
really terrible on the phone.

- I was worried.
- I feel fine.

- But you look fine.
- I do. I'm fine.

-Y-Y-You - -God,
I'm glad to hear that.

- You look great.
- Thank you.

Uh, for an old
lady. Well, anyway -

Hey, a lot of young women
would really envy you, with a -

a singing career under your
belt. You're still going strong.

Fine.

- That's it. The first scene.
- That was the first scene.

All right, let's go to
the next, uh, section.

What I'm doing is, I'm
taking this section by section -

- Right.
- You know, and going, uh -

We're going through
the lines just for that -

- Just for that - Yeah.
- Seven or eight lines.

Like it's broken
down in the script?

And then, you know, doing
what they can from memory

and whatever they can't,
they put in spontaneously

as improvisation
stuff, you know.

So, that's what we're doing.

Stand by. All right,
roll it. And action.

Okay. Okay? It
was a stupid idea.

You've got a lot of nerve.

I could have had a
daughter of my own.

Now you tell me you want
to pass this stupid woman,

this orphan, on to me.

No!

I didn't realize you
were still so bitter.

Oh.

Oh! Of course I am.

I could have had
a family of my own.

That's why I thought
you might have done it.

For yourself, if not for her.

Then what -

Cut. Okay? Excellent.

Excellent. Very good.

Uh, Steve, um,
the actors are very -

very anxious about the
two of us coming at them -

At once. So I'm gonna hang back.

- Okay. All right. Okay.
- Okay.

-Audrey - -Shh.

- Can we be here, Bill?
- Huh?

You wanna have them walk
out of the frame in this one, right?

- They walk out of the frame.
- All right.

- Have them get up and leave.
- Yeah, get up and leave.

- Then have 'em sit into the other one.
- Huh?

- Then have 'em sit into the other one.
- Well, yeah. Yeah.

-And they may sit into another - -Or
maybe you want a wide shot of them -

They may sit into another
location. You know what I mean?

You want a wide shot of them
getting up and leaving, or just -

Uh -

She says, "No."
She says, "No, no."

- But they'll come out.
- Let's try -

- So he's gotta have each one of them.
- Let's try a wide - Let's try a wide -

Let's try a close-up of
her getting up and leaving.

- Right.
- And then we'll do it with the wider shot.

- Okay.
- Okay? That has - It's a two-shot.

Okay? All right.
Okay. All right.

Their final line is, "We've had
enough of this," and they leave.

I'm sorry. Would you kindly
project - What did you say?

The final line is, "We've had
enough of this," and they leave.

Then the crew goes pursuing
them for another location.

I wanna know what you said
about Bill spitting in the subway.

I said there are
people down there.

Is that your attitude to them, when
you spat into the subway grating?

I spit on the grille, and he said,
"There are people down there!"

He never was like that before
till he came back to New York.

Spit down gratings
on the subway.

All right, enough
of this levity.

Enough of this levity, Mr. Filgate.
We're busy people here.

- This is serious business.
- Okay?

- Okay. We'll get serious.
- Okay.

Uh, could you - could
you take your seat there?

We should go up this way.

Mr. Greaves says
he doesn't want to -

We're ending up right here.

- On the first leg of our journey.
- On the first leg.

Even when they're not acting.

- Everyone thinks they're directing.
- What?

Every actor thinks
they're directing.

Bill said to me yesterday - He
said to moderate a discussion here.

And so, there's a few
things, um, I want to say.

First of all, this is very open.

There's no manipulation
from Bill as to where -

He's not manipulating me to
manipulate anybody to say anything.

Um, and I was actually surprised

at the degree to which
he did leave it open.

And, um, those of you who
saw the first Symbio know

that at a certain
point in the production,

due to frustration
at this process

that Bill was leading us on,

we mutinied, we grabbed
some film and tape,

we went into an editing room
and we had a talk about this.

But there's a few very
significant differences here.

First of all, in 1968 it was
a genuine transgression.

We were not supposed to
be doing this. We just did it.

It was transgressing the
director-crew boundary

that any production
is supposed to have.

And, uh, we didn't do it for the
purpose of winding up on the film.

We just did it, thinking it was sort
of a filmmaker-to-filmmaker joke,

and that Bill would see it
when he developed the film

and that was the best
we could, you know, do.

It was one of the best things we
could do about our participation.

And the context was really different.
There was not yet a film called Symbio.

There was just three days called
Symbio, or however many days it was.

So there was no film
that had been made.

There was no Steve Buscemi.
There was no mystique.

There was no
Southampton Film Festival.

There was nothing you could
point to, like you all can point -

Even those of you who haven't been
here, you can all point to something

that already has happened with
Symbio - you know it's something.

In 1968 we didn't know
whether it was something.

So there was a legitimate question
that we would have coming together.

I mean, a really mature,
legitimate, artistic question

of whether our colleague and
friend knew what he was doing.

If that rebellion -
that crew rebellion -

It had an incredibly powerful
function in the context of that movie

in that it gave the movie an
incredible amount of conflict.

You know? As soon as
that started to happen -

In the beginning, you started to
wonder who these flaky guys were.

Then the rebellion starts
to happen and you think,

"Hey, something is
really going on here."

And there's an enormous amount of
conflict about how it's gonna turn out.

What is Bill going to do in this
picture to get that kind of conflict

and can what we're doing
succeed without conflict?

Is conflict necessary to
make this kind of thing work?

Because on this shoot it seems
like it's a little bit more overt.

It's totally overt.

- Okay. Totally overt.
- Totally overt.

But because they're trying to get
this conflict, it may be heightened.

Because, as you say,
there's no natural conflict.

What happened to you all
in '68 is just not happening.

And I think everybody may
be reaching now for something.

This is actually almost more
a history lesson than anything.

I mean, what has
transpired in 35 years?

Just like the relationship between the
two characters in the film has changed,

the relationship of the crew
to the director has changed

just as a natural
evolution in film history.

We've, you know - We
can't create that conflict.

- No, we can't. Not honestly.
- Not honestly.

If the conflict were to exist, we
should never have seen this film.

- It's beautiful.
- It is.

Absolutely.
Absolutely fantastic.

It's kind of sunny, so
why don't we sit over here.

Okay.

Okay.

- This better?
- Yes.

Mmm. There's something
I want to show you.

You remember this?

Oh, my God.

Oh, my Go -

Was I ever that young?

- You look so beautiful.
- Where'd you get this?

- I saved it.
- Really? The two of us.

- Can you believe it?
- Looks like hundreds of years ago.

- You think?
- Oh, my God.

You know, Europe
was really good to me.

- Mmm.
- Doors opened everywhere.

And I got a chance
to start really afresh.

- Mmm.
- Sort of pick up the pieces of my life.

Mmm.

Thanks for sending the
recordings. They're great.

You've got such
a distinctive sound.

Is that why you dragged me from
Europe - to tell me you like my voice?

Not really. There's something
I needed to talk to you about.

I've got this one young lady -
she was busted for possession.

All my kids get busted for possession
because of these stupid Rockefeller laws.

Anyway, she's sober,
she's been clean for a while,

and she's gonna need
a lot of help, support.

And, um...

she's a singer.

She's beautiful. She's
like my adopted daughter.

And I was hoping that
maybe you could meet her.

Freddie, you know, I think...
you've just worked too hard.

You're doing - I mean, it's a
stressful situation that you're in.

Hey, there's a wonderful
European spa that I go to.

Mm-hmm.

I'll pay your way, and you
can stay as long as you want.

The tab's on me.

I-I don't think I
can. Not right now.

I'm just too involved with
the work I'm doing and -

And besides, I'm very
concerned about this -

this young lady - she's
like my adopted daughter.

- She's gonna need a lot of support.
- What are you getting at, Freddie?

I wanted to
introduce her to you.

Yeah -

Maybe she could go
back with you to Europe.

Jesus!

What?

- This is incredible.
- You like the idea?

I mean -

You - Why didn't you tell
me this on the telephone?

- I couldn't tell you that on the phone.
- Why didn't you tell me this?

How could I tell you that on the -
I want you to meet her in person.

You could have had my
answer then, which is... no.

No.

No.

Okay, cut.

All right, let's - let's
do that "no, no,"

-and then get up -
-And then get up. Right.

Roll 'em. Roll cameras.

- Rolling.
- Speed.

And... action.

She doesn't have any female role
models that she can identify with.

You mean you brought me all
the way from Europe to tell me this?

You could have had my
answer on the telephone...

which is...

no, no, no.

Alice. Alice.

Alice.

Alice! Okay, it
was a stupid idea.

We're gonna re - We're gonna
redo this whole scene again

at another location.

It's the Strawberry
Fields location.

It's a wonderful backdrop

for this, uh, psychodrama
to take place.

- Take place, yeah.
- So it'll be -

- Cool my jets. Yeah.
- Yeah, right.

But at least you're getting the material
that you need to work with. Okay?

- I am. Thank you.
- Okay.

Wait there for me.

Okay, it was a stupid idea.

You bet. You
have a lot of nerve.

I mean, I could have
had this child of my own.

Now you're trying to pass off

- this so-called orphan daughter of yours.
- I didn't realize you'd be so -

I'm not having it.

I am too tired, I am too old

and I'm worn out.

- I didn't realize you'd be so bitter.
- I am bitter.

And I have a right to be.

Okay, good.

When she stood up,
she totally blocked him.

So we need a mark.

When? When do I cover him?

I'm gonna - When she gets up,
I'm gonna - I'm just gonna stay.

Yeah, I know, but she
was dead in front of you.

Oh, wait, wait, wait.

She walks off, and then you
want her to move over to here?

Yeah, that's the
wrong camera direction.

- And here?
- No, no.

If she'd just -

If I stood here -

Yeah, just stand up and
move a little bit this way.

Right. Okay. You know -

Right. Yeah, that's good.

-However - -What? What?

I was just saying, however,
the screen direction's wrong.

She needs to be on
this side of the camera.

- She's on this side of the camera?
- Right.

If you wanna be able to
cut to her, to that camera,

he's gotta be looking left to right,
she's gotta be looking - Right?

-So when she crosses
the axis this way - -Yeah.

He's no longer looking
left-to-right, he's looking right-to-left.

- Wow.
- You understand that?

- Yeah.
- As long as you understand it and I'm -

Not to worry. I will edit -

I'll be the editor, and I promise
you it all will be corrected.

Okay? Don't worry about it.

As I say, trust me, folks. I mean, I
know how to make a movie. Okay?

All right, so, um -

- Let me just explain it to these guys.
- No, it's okay. Please.

I'll cut away to a rowboat or
something else - the foliage.

- You know what I mean?
- Right.

-Before it gets, uh - -Okay.

All right, um -

I mean, what are you
suggesting, that she go that way?

Or we cover her from this side.

That - No, that
bothers me. No, I think -

See, that's a natural cut. A natural
cut is right-to-left or left-to-right.

- Yeah, I understand.
- So when she crosses the axis here,

you really need to be here
in order to get her dialogue,

in order to have right screen
direction for her to have the dialogue.

I'm gonna stay - I'm gonna stay
on him. I'm gonna stay on him.

All right, um -

Usually, that's what I
do, is worry about that.

But -

You know.

Put in my two cents, right?

But cinematographers have a
different relationship to directors

than many other film craftsmen.

Or correct me if I'm wrong.

It's a more intimate,

collegial, collaborative
relationship with the director's eye,

because it's so connected
to the cinematographer's eye.

- Is that right, Terry?
- Yeah, screen -

I would say that 90% of
the directors who I work for

haven't got a clue about
technical aspects of filmmaking.

You think they come
out of television?

Well, first of all, a lot of
them are first-time directors.

I've worked with a lot who
don't have any idea, technically -

- You train them.
- Phil?

Now, under normal
circumstances -

When you come to William
with ideas and suggestions

about, you know, traditional
techniques to avoid -

He's basically indifferent.

I mean, he doesn't really care.

- So, I mean, my, you
know - -Bill doesn't care.

You tell him something, he doesn't
care. You say, "This won't cut" -

He was coming left out of your frame
and coming the opposite way on my frame.

What do you do in this situation?
Get what's correct, or what he wants?

In normal circumstances,
on a normal movie,

I would be answerable to the
producer who would say to me,

- "Why didn't you tell him how to do this?"
- Right. Right. Right. Right.

- So, you know, it's a different dynamic.
- What do you do in this case?

In this case, he's the
producer and the director,

so you can't really
tell him what to do.

So you would - Look - What?

I'd say, in other circumstances,

I would be much more
forceful in pushing my, uh,

technical knowledge
about how to make a movie.

But it seems to me that
he's got his own agenda here,

which is not necessarily the
technical aspects of making a movie.

-So - -Or even of
postproduction of -

Or of anything - Of anything
about making a theatrical film.

So it seems to me that my role
here is very different than it would be

in normal circumstances.

He's got an agenda which
maybe I don't even understand.

And I can appreciate that, so I'll go
with the flow, see where it's taking me.

I'm coming from a director's point -
don't want to direct the film or anything.

But I was telling John that it
would be interesting to see Audrey

just totally break rank and
break, you know, the "actory" -

Something needs to be given
to her to just throw her off,

and she can start speaking that
German - cussing in German -

and just totally break
from her shell, this shield,

this defense she's put
up, and just give it to him.

I would like to
see less aversion.

Especially because,
at the end of his life,

no matter what has
happened between them,

there seems to be no
forgiveness, you see.

- Mm-hmm.
- And I understand the wound, of course.

But there's no
forgiveness, you see.

But no forgiveness from the get-go,
no forgiveness from the starting gate.

- Why did she come?
- Why did she come?

Now, I can see, the way
the conversation is going

and the pitiful way he
wants to position this,

I can see, ultimately,
an aversion -

"Oh, this is too
much. I can't go here."

But up to that
point, I would think

a little something - more
warmth or something

- would be appropriate.
- Mm-hmm.

What I love about making films

is that everybody wants to be a
director, everybody wants to be a producer.

And this is what
Symbio is all about.

You know, that wonderful thing
in the crew room where everyone

expresses their need to

control the creation of
reality, you know, the cosmos.

Can we get a camera on Bill?

George Bush - W.
- This is what he's trying to -

he wants control of the world
- that's what he's trying to do.

I mean, that's when it reaches its highest
manifestation, this need to take over -

Well, actually, he's destroying
the world in the process of trying to -

You think he really wants to
be a director, George Bush?

Yeah, I think he wants
to direct humanity.

- Can I ask you a question while waiting?
- Sure.

But I don't know, uh -

'Cause we were talking about
this, and since you brought it up -

Yeah?

When you made the first
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm.♪ Take One -

- Yes.
- It was at the height of the Vietnam War.

Now, I know you didn't time this to
happen during what's now going on in Iraq,

where there's more -

The war's ended, and there's
more soldiers who have been killed -

- Sure.
- During - during the war.

- Yeah.
- Um -

Of course, during
the 1968 shooting

of Symbio One,

uh, ultimately, it was a
metaphor for the Vietnam War.

That's what I was
saying. Now, you don't -

But you didn't - you didn't
see it, or you don't believe it?

- Or it doesn't mean anything to you?
- It's just no savvy.

I mean, I don't
disbelieve it if he says it,

but from my own point of view, I don't
capture that metaphor - I don't get it.

The important thing
for me is that, as I said -

Actually, I said it on the grass there
when I was meeting with the crew -

It doesn't matter... whether
or not you get the metaphor

that the particular
artist has in mind,

so long as the people who
are viewing the work of art

have some kind of an experience
that helps them to, in some way or other,

make certain types of,
you know, uh, analyses

and understandings of
how the world is working.

- Put your arms around me too.
- Everybody loves Shannon.

- I want a hug, Bill.
- Yeah, okay.

I love you, Bill.
Shannon, I want a hug too.

Shannon, give me a hug.

Yeah, hug her!

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

What I'm planning
to do is, uh...

having her turn more -

- Right. I saw that.
- So that's - Yeah. That's number one.

And number two is to try to get
her - them to start at a different, uh,

emotional and
psychological level.

That is to say that she's -

They're pretending that they're
quite happy to be together.

- They're pretending?
- Yeah. At the beginning.

- Right.
- And then only to discover that, uh...

there's a much more serious
thing still going on between them,

having to do with
this whole issue of

his wanting her to take
on the responsibility

of this young
woman, this child -

Not child, but this very
talented young woman -

- Right.
- Who has the talent

to become a big singer like
she is at this time in Europe.

And so that's - that's, uh -

that's basically
the overall scene.

Why did you insist that we
come here - here of all places?

'Cause I love it here, and I thought
it would be easier to talk about it -

what's going on with me.

Um...

the HIV medication
has stopped working,

and, uh, I started
self-medicating.

So, the chances are -

What do you mean,
self-medicating?

- I started doing drugs again.
- Oh, Jesus.

I mean - Oh, God.

Anyway, what I
wanted to ask you was -

- You did what?
- Just hear me out. Okay?

What happened is I got involved
with, um, one of my clients.

She was a woman
with HIV and she died.

She had a daughter, and I
promised her when she died

that I would take
care of her daughter.

And her daughter's
been in a group home.

And if I die, she's not
gonna have anybody.

Yeah, but what does
that have to do with me?

I'd like for you to meet her,

just to give -
just to see if you -

To give an estimation of how
good her voice is, or what?

No, just to meet her and see if there's
a connection between the two of you.

- And then?
- If I should die, then she would have a -

you would -

- She would have a place to go.
- She'd have a place to go?

- To Europe. With you.
- What do you mean, a place to go?

I would take her back to me -

- To Europe?
- Yeah.

She sings. She's beautiful.
She reminds me of you.

But why didn't you tell
me this on the telephone?

I couldn't talk about
it on the phone.

- Just meet her.
- I mean -

Just meet her, that's all.

See what you think.

Really not -

I mean, I really wish you'd
said this to me on the telephone.

- You would have had my answer.
- I couldn't -

My answer would have been...

as it is now, no.

Short. No.

Okay. Okay.

Um... What do you think?

I mean, all the - all
their improvising is great.

- Yeah.
- Um...

and I just wonder what -

I mean, what is it that she
thinks that he was gonna ask her?

Oh, and did she
say the thing about -

'Cause what I liked in the
script was when he asks him,

"I'll take care of you.
You come to Europe."

Yeah. When she says that, what -

'Cause it seems to me -

that she thinks that he's
asked her to come here

because, uh, maybe he wants
to be involved with her again.

Yeah.

We were just saying -

I was just wondering...

what do you think -

Why do you think
he brought you here?

I mean, you know - I mean,
you've already discussed that -

that he's - that
you - that he's sick.

- Right?
- Yeah.

But this is something
we did on the telephone.

I know about his illness.
I don't know that he's -

You don't know what, specifically,
he's going to talk to you about here.

No. No.

And then he tells me about this,
um - this drugging - um, doing drugs.

Right.

But I sense that
that is not "it."

You know? That
it's something else.

What I was saying to Bill, and
what I thought from the script -

- Yeah?
- Is that maybe you think

that he wants to get
back together with you,

and that you offered to take him
to Europe and to take care of him.

And so - And maybe that's -
that's really appealing to you.

- Right.
- But that's not what he wants.

Then he drops the
adopted child on you.

- He - It's not what he wants at all.
- Right. Exactly.

The scene...

has a lot of interesting
notes that could be played.

- Mm-hmm.
- You know?

By you as an actor.
Don't you think so?

Yeah. No, I think you
two are great together.

Yeah.

You know, the
self-control interests me.

Because you have a
coming together here

that is so weighted
with old emotions,

and how these old
emotions trigger things.

Yeah.

And the self-control of these people is
sometimes a little disconcerting to me,

because this self-control
is so overwhelming.

I thought - or
what I understood -

was to play more -
the subtlety of this.

- No, I understand.
- Yeah?

But - But you are, uh,

an Afro-Caribbean
woman, you know, in -

And, uh, there's a Latino
component to your personality

where you - you explode.

You know?

Let's put it this way - Tomorrow
when we do this, which we will do,

-let's try to
incorporate - -Okay.

These elements that are
coming not just from me,

-but from Steve and
from Jonathan - -Right.

Uh, and let's see what happens.

-Okay, if I see her -
-Just - Just see her.

If I see her - Just
- Just a second.

If I see her and it's
only from a distance,

I'm not interested
to get involved.

Just - Just see -
Just have a look.

- Okay. When?
- She's here in the park.

- She's here in the park?
- Yeah.

She's here in the park.
We can take a walk.

- From a distance.
- Why don't you just be honest with me

and say that you've arranged it, and
she's here, we're going to see her -

She's here with her friends.
She doesn't even know we're here.

She doesn't know we're here, so there's
no big deal. She's not gonna see us.

- Yeah?
- That's true.

- Yeah, good.
- Okay?

We can just walk
and - From a distance.

- And - Where?
- Come.

You arranged it all.

No, I didn't. I didn't.
Really, I didn't.

Yeah, but how -

Is this really such a coincidence that
she is in the park on the same day when -

-She comes here with - -I've
been such a long time in Europe -

She comes here with her
friends, you know? That's all.

I don't believe this.

- We pick them up
after they - -Hello.

- I've been waiting for you.
- You have?

I have. I've been
waiting for both of you.

- You've been waiting for us?
- I have.

Hello. I've been waiting
for the two of you.

Thirty-five years
I've been waiting.

- That's a long wait.
- I'm gonna work with you again.

- Again?
- I am. We're gonna do psychodrama.

- I remember. Good.
- Come on.

- Sorry, but I don't.
- You don't remember?

- No.
- We did - Do you remember?

- Yeah, of course.
- We did psychodrama.

When we - When we
enhance the characterization

and we dug for the jewels

in moments when the
jewels weren't forthcoming.

Oh, it's magic.

Oh.

It's magic.

Well, isn't that just...

interesting.

We're going to talk about
psychodrama as a tool for the actor

in enhancing the
characterization.

For example, the line
you had just this morning

saying, "No, no, no."

And you really - We
wanted you to get enraged.

Mm-hmm.

And it was very slowly
creeping into your voice.

It's just that in psychodrama
we can get to that jewel quicker

by having, perhaps, a double
- somebody be you with you -

to go to the
unspeakable feelings.

- Let's do it.
- Let's do it.

- Yeah.
- Let's do it.

Come on. Let's walk around
and talk about it a minute.

Let me get between you.

And there were other moments.

For example, I think

-you, Shannon - -Mm-hmm?

Are not saying in the script -

You're telling her she should
be the stepmother, in a way -

- Right.
- To Jamilla.

But what you're not saying is, I
want to be a father to your mother.

I want to have the
chance I never had before.

- It's - It's probably true.
- I think it's probably true.

What do you say?

Um, I don't know in which
direction this is all going.

- I don't understand it.
- Just follow it. Just follow it.

- I'm him. I'm him.
- Right. Right.

So I say to you,

I, Shannon, do not want to sever
the connection that we've got.

-So what are you gonna say
to - -That's the underlying -

Yeah. Just respond to
it as if I were Shannon.

Yeah, but I don't either.

- That's what you say then.
- That's what she just said.

I don't either. Neither do I. I
don't want to sever the connection.

- Right.
- Look, we've got Jamilla as a possibility.

You and I could be parents to
that child. That's why I'm asking you.

- That's the whole point.
- That's the whole point.

That's why I asked you
all the way over here from -

- Germany?
- From Germany.

- Do you believe that?
- Do you?

No, she doesn't believe that.

Okay, now I'm gonna double her.
Okay? And I'm gonna be her with -

- So you respond to both of us.
- Right.

We're not convinced because -

We're not convinced, because...

I know this man from before,
and whatever - what he says -

- Tell him.
- I know you from before.

-How long ago - -And I
wanted a child with you -

Just shut up. How
long ago from before?

- Thirty-five years.
- Okay, 35 years ago is a long time ago.

- Thirty-five years!
- Shut up.

-Wait a minute -
-Don't tell me to shut up!

- Just a second.
- Thirty-five years ago.

Thirty-five years, but it's -
We're having a continuous -

- Continuous.
- Uh, on the telephone.

Do you think anything's
happened in 35 years?

- Of course.
- Well? So?

- But I don't believe you!
- Why don't you shut up.

- You don't think I've changed?
- Of course you have.

Shut up!

- Yes.
- Okay. That's the whole point.

- What is the whole point?
- That people have changed. People change.

You keep going back,
hearkening back to 35 years ago -

If you stay back in 35 years ago,
then you're get - You know, you're -

-You're gonna make me look
after her - -And he's - And he's -

- Tell him!
- And you're still alive.

- Yeah. Right.
- You're still alive.

- Shut up.
- You are still alive.

- You're going to dump this woman on me.
- On me!

- That's what you're afraid of?
- Yes!

- Oh. Okay.
- Yes.

So we'll make a written
agreement. Okay?

Something written,
something very formal,

where we're both responsible
for the welfare of this child.

- Okay?
- I'd feel more comfortable with that.

- There you go.
- Role reverse. Okay?

- I've heard a lot of these promises.
- Stop a minute.

- What? You haven't heard bullshit.
- Stop a minute. Stop! Stop!

- That's a lie.
- Freddie.

- That's a lie. That's a lie.
- That's a lie?

- Yeah, it is a lie.
- You promised me the earth, Freddie!

- You promised me the earth!
- You're an asshole.

- What?
- You are an asshole.

You've no idea what you're talking
about. She knows what we're talking about.

She knows I've given her
plenty. Come on. Don't bullshit me.

Are you Freddie now, or what?

No.

- Yeah, then we have a problem.
- We have a problem.

Because I'm dealing with
Freddie the whole time, and you're -

I'm dealing with the reality
of the moment, which is -

-The reality of the moment - -ls
things have changed in 35 years.

- Okay?
- Of course. Of course.

Freddie changed. Freddie
grows up in 35 years.

- Right.
- Okay? That's what happens with people.

- So did I.
- Yeah, but everybody changes.

That's what I'm - So I'm asking you to
see what's happening in the here and now.

That's all I'm asking you to do.

But the method - the
system is the same.

- Nothing has changed.
- Has changed!

-If nothing has - if nothing has ch
- -And how you were 35 years ago

- is how you are 35 years later.
- That's what you see?

-The method - The system
in which you - -No, no, no.

- I'm asking you, is that what you see?
- From the evidence you've given me, yes.

- What's the evidence?
- From how you tell me about this child.

You could have done this on
the telephone, but you didn't.

I feel scared in my
soul! I feel scared!

-I thought you were dying -
-Now, just a minute. This asshole -

I thought you were dying.

- That's why I came over.
- No, you didn't.

You did not think that. Come
on. You thought I was sick.

-You sounded, on the telephone
- -I told you I was sick. All right?

Yes! Why do you think I came?

-She's just - -You
think I came -

-You know, you've got -
-Go on, tell him. Tell him.

You think I came because of
her? I came because of you!

You've got such a fucking mouth.
Somebody should smack your mouth.

- Are you Freddie in this moment?
- In this moment? Yeah. 35 years later.

- Good.
- I came 'cause you were ill.

- Shut the fuck up! What?
- So, I came here -

- Right.
- Because you needed me.

Right.

-You - -Shut the
fuck up, I said!

No!

- I came because of you!
- Hey, hey, hey.

-Come on - Come on - -I
can't take this kind of bullshit.

This is too much.

I don't like it when people
get upset. I can't stand it.

I'm not doing it.
This is ridiculous.

I hate it when
everybody gets - I hate it.

Gonna sit down here and sulk.

And what are your feelings
about it all these years later?

You wanted that baby.

I wanted that child.

You know I wanted that child.

- You said - -Why? Why
did you want a child?

What do you mean, why did I want a child?
I had a child growing on the inside of me.

-Yeah, but you were - -I
wanted to have this baby.

- Why?
- Because that's a life.

That's exactly what you
did 30-some years ago.

([imitates scoff)

This is my body.

When I - When I abort,

I aborted something
inside of me as well.

Now you're telling me, "Oh -

-No, I'm not telling -
-she's such a nice girl.

Come and take her and
bring her with you to Europe."

- Hang on a minute.
- What?

- But hang on a minute.
- What?

-He's offering you -
-What is he offering me?

- What are you offering?
- No.

- A full-grown woman for a child of my own?
- Listen to him.

Listen to him. Listen.
Just listen. Be open.

- It's easy for you to talk.
- No, why - why should she be open?

Because you're offering her
something of you in this child.

So? Maybe she's - Maybe she just
- You don't know - You don't know -

She's shut down already.
She's got a career.

She's a successful actress.
She's got a singing career.

She's got everything she wants. Why should
she want to share herself with anything?

Exactly. Why did you drag
me here to tell me this bullshit?

That's right. It
is bullshit. Right?

Absolutely.

You know, all these years
I thought I was wrong.

I thought I was wrong. I thought
I did something really bad,

that you wanted this baby,
that you wanted this chi -

-That is a bloody - -Hold it
a minute! Hold it a minute!

- I thought I was wrong!
- Don't you shout at me.

Yes, I will, because you
have blamed me for 35 years!

- You asshole!
- Yes, you have!

- Asshole!
- You blame me!

There are women everywhere
- they have their babies

and they still have
their profession!

- You know what?
- Don't you talk to me, you stupid -

- Cut! Cut.
- Bullshit!

Cut.

Cut. That's -

Um, now, then,

um...

I think that at this point -

I think, at this point,

um, if you sync -

- We can sit down?
- You can sit down.

Yeah? Talk about it again.

Um, you sit down next to her.

- Ready to go back to the script?
- Whatever you want.

I think we'd better
go back to the script.

- Because it's getting too physical.
- I think - I think -

- Go ahead.
- You're wanting to give her something.

I think all you're wanting
is her tenderness back.

- Audrey? Audrey?
- Yes.

Can you come here a second?

But I think what's
true - what he says -

I'm trying to give you
something by giving you this girl.

I think that's true. He's trying to give
you something by giving you this Jamilla.

Yeah, but I don't want to
be put under such pressure.

This is too much pressure.
This is not helping me at all.

- So let's go back to the script.
- Because Alice is not a crybaby.

Alice wants to be
able to come into -

- At her speed.
- To make a decision at her speed.

At her speed. Yeah. Okay.

She's a very independent woman,
and she wants to be able to say,

"Okay, let me start now making
a few steps in this direction."

My way. My way. Not
your way. Yeah. Absolutely.

Because it's like -

- Right. Right. Right.
- Alice doesn't need that.

But you need the freedom
to make the decision.

- How does that sound?
- That's fine.

That's wonderful.
Good. Terrific.

How would it be if they
started it off with just a hug?

- Okay?
- What are we starting from?

An improvisation, or are
we going back to the text?

You're going back to the text.

I'll get it again.
Yeah, I'll get it.

I think that would be -
that would be a very, uh,

good entry point

to, uh, get back into the text.

- Let's see.
- Whoops. Oh, sorry.

Okay. Here's the top one.

"Why should I be -"
Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah.

Now, Freddie...

- will you remember these lines?
- Mm-hmm.

-Will you be remembering
- -Freddie, you're amazing.

She's lovely. She
reminds me of you.

- Good!
- Lovely. Beautiful.

Wonderful! Shit,
that's wonderful!

- Beautiful. Come on, let's go.
- Keep going.

I mean, really -

- You out?
- I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I was so -

-You know, but, God - -What?

- You're asking a lot.
- I know.

Give her a chance.

How do you know I'd even be
interested? How do you know this?

I don't know. I know you.

You're wonderful.

You - You are.

Why don't you just see her?

What?

Hmm?

What's her name?

Her name is Jamilla.

What if she doesn't like me?

Then we'll -

we'll call the whole thing
off, but she'll love you.

She can - She sees you
through my eyes already.

I told her a little
bit about you.

- Oh, Freddie!
- She wanted to know -

She wanted to know
who I was married to.

Okay - You know, that's -
that's pushing it again. Really.

When people have asked
me what the film is about, I say

it's a study of the film acting
craft as it intersects with real life.

Now, mostly I say that
just to satisfy their curiosity,

because that satisfies people
of various levels of intelligence.

It's complex-sounding
enough to satisfy them,

and then they feel like it's a
respectful answer and they're satisfied.

But by locating this thing in a place
where something actual is going on -

not only the random
potential we've seen,

which would be - which is
any huge public space like this,

but the specific activity
of a marathon, when,

really, people's consciousness
is devoted to the marathon -

We are a very, very small part of
what's going on in New York today.

Uh, to locate us in
such a huge event,

with the public consciousness so
hugely focused on something else,

is also a way of
intersecting this little project

with something much larger than ourselves
and something that's completely real.

- Hey.
- Hi. How are you?

- This is Alice.
- Hi. Nice to meet you.

Hi.

- What's your name?
- Ade.

- Ade? Ade's your real name?
- Cut! Cut!

- Cut! Cut!
- I'm sorry!

- It's Jamilla.
- I thought that -

I'm sorry!

Jamilla, Jamilla, Jamilla.

You don't come out to meet them.
You just sit there, and then you come out.

- Come on, let's do it again.
- All right, this is take two.

Good idea.

10-4-K. We have a film crew here
from William Greaves Productions.

They have a
mayor's office permit.

They do not have a parks
department permit for filming.

Uh, but they are mentioning
a contact person. Okay?

- Can you give me that name again, please?
- Dana Waites.

10-6-K.

- Where, exactly, were you looking to go?
- Strawberry Fields.

Okay, Strawberry
Fields is totally sealed off.

- Really?
- Until when?

Until the end of this marathon.

- Until the end of the marathon?
- Until the end.

Where do you come from?