Schizopolis’ “problem” with communication

While I don’t claim myself to be a movie buff, I also know that I’ve watched numerous films from various genres and styles but I have never seen anything like Schizopolis. As much as it was confusing, it was also entertaining; my mind was never or rarely not processing what was going on in the film, even when the processing that was happening was leading to nowhere. As I found myself trying to solve this puzzle of a movie, I encountered many wrong or ridiculous personal interpretations. Though what I did conclude as my own interpretation and also found interesting was how the overall plot simply criticized the self help book that Mr. Azimuth authored. The book claims to communicate its message or teaching to its readers and yet the author himself cannot communicate properly with his followers [as seen by how he treats them and even his wife which supposedly leads to the wife’s infidelity]. From here, I saw that communication plays a large part in what the movie was trying to express. Though I also think that despite the different languages and the gibberish used within the movie, the characters could still communicate their thoughts toward each other. Though this is communication wherein the receiver can interpret the sender, and not in a sense wherein the characters can express their feelings properly toward one another because the infidelity shown throughout the film through several characters. Though again, these personal reflections only hit me after the film; without the usual structure movies and stories follow along with seemingly misfit scenes, it was difficult to process even my own thoughts about the film.

Looking back, when the introduction tells the audience that there are parts about the film we will not understand and that we’ll need to rewatch it, they weren’t lying. The film has difficulty communicating itself to the audience [on purpose] similar to how the characters also communicate poorly but that also gives way for a more unique viewing experience that provokes the thought of its audiences.

The confusion that accompanied the movie attracted me more than it should have repelled me from the movie. I remember quitting movies halfway because of confusing plot points or characters suddenly missing like my love-hate relationship with the Michael Bay Transformers movies, and yet my experience was Schizopolis was one that made me appreciate experimental films more. It was a good way to introduce myself to more experimental movies especially considering that we don’t see experimental movies as much in mainstream media. Perhaps that’s why I never heard about this too, despite always “researching” on what interesting movies to watch on my lazy days. The director and apparently also the main actor was also someone who caught my attention as someone creative and relatively flexible. That role of his must have been very demanding and while I would think that it seemed like a selfish or prideful thing to cast himself as the main actor, it now seems more reasonable that he did because of the demands he might have asked for from the actor. This was definitely a good movie outside of mainstream movies, even those that they claim to be confusing.. *ehem* Inception *ehem*