Schizopolis (1996)

About Schizopolis

Schizopolis is a surreal comedy-drama film released in 1996. Written, directed, and acted by Steven Soderbergh, the movie offers a unique and fragmented narrative structure, exploring themes of communication, identity, modern life's mundanity, and human relationships. The film revolves around the life of Fletcher Munson, a speechwriter for a new age guru, and his doppelganger, a dentist. Engaging in a series of bizarre encounters and dialogues in and around a fictional city, they navigate their dual lives, which eventually intersect.

Making / Production

The production of Schizopolis was a distinct departure from Soderbergh’s previous works. It was predominantly filmed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Soderbergh took on multiple roles during the making of the film, marking this movie as a significant experimental venture amidst his more conventional endeavors.

Actors

• Steven Soderbergh as Fletcher Munson and Dr. Jeffrey Korchek – Soderbergh lends an impressive performance in dual roles, lending each character a distinctive personality.
• Betsy Brantley as Mrs. Munson and Attractive Woman #2 - Brantley portrays both characters with impressive versatility and depth.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• Steven Soderbergh played both the leading roles - that of Fletcher Munson and his doppelganger, Dr. Jeffrey Korchek.
• The cast contains several non-professional actors who were not provided with any scripts. They improvised their dialogue following Soderbergh's direction.

Quotes

• "I am having great difficulty recalling the phrase."
• "What problem? There's no problem. Why is it that we perceive a problem at this juncture?"

Music and Soundtrack

The film does not rely heavily on music and instead employs various audio effects and techniques, alongside minimalistic scoring to underscore the absurdity and irregular rhythm of the narrative.