Home Movies (1954)

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JOHN SCHNITZ • • • independent By HENRY PROVISOR John Schmitz is an independent producer of psychological art films. Born in New York, the 29-year-old film-maker studied psychology at V.C.L.A. and then began making films four years ago. Three motion pictures called "Renunciation", "Voices" and "Dance of a Pagan" are his best, and these are reviewed below. Schmitz leaves shortly for San Miguel Allende, in Mexico to shoot more footage on a projected film about this small town and the Institute of San Miguel Allende located nearby. After this he plans to go to Paris to carry on his work. Here is his story. Ed. * * * THERE are a few independents lurking in the Hollywood underbrush, quietly starving to death — but they make wonderful films. Then again there are other independents producing some incredibly horrible films, all under the guise of sports, or educational films, and from all indications they are making money with very little effort. TV takes their entire output, and this of course brings them up to the general level of all TV films — universally bad. When Pro Cine Photographer revinewed "East to Skid Row" produced by Leon Vickman, the editors of this publication were impressed with his work but felt that he could not hope for national distribution or sale. But the exact opposite was true. When Pro Cine Photographer hit the stands (July 1953 pg. 283) Vickman sold "East to Skid Row" to a New York distributor, and the film is now being circulated in the United States to art houses and college groups who form the bulk of the audience for this type of film. Vickman, now Pro Cine Photographer correspondent in Paris, is producing "Closed Vision" under the sponsorship of the Society of Visual Arts, in Paris. He is working with the French author-director Marc 0., a French artist who has become well known for his movie work and particularly for his book on the technique of the cinema. He is also known for his film, "Venom and Eternity" recently released in Hollywood. So it seems that Vickman is well on the way of achieving his heart's desire — making the kind of films which are not for general consumption, yet reach tight little groups of college students, art lovers and others who understand the psychological cinema. John Schmitz is making this kind of film. He spends his entire time on film production, working alone experimenting and making a valiant attempt to get some sort of recognition. And there is no reason why he cannot do the same thing that French cinematographers are doing, with practically no financial backing at all. Now let's take a look at his films and see what he is trying to say: "Renunciation" involves a MexicanAmerican in the United States who attempts to adjust to the glitter of a rich democratic state. He represents the impressionable, penurious new generation which has changed its values and has rejected the truth in the blindness of their so-called slavery. Treatment : Truth is represented as a crucifix which appears and re-appears throughout the film in several forms. Once a cross on a church, as a shadow on the ground, and with a Madonna. The boy admires and craves the glitter that is actually not his true environment. He disassociates himself from his past — and this is symbolically represented as the Church and his friends. His former existence and Mexican culture in the symbols of the Church are re nounced for these new values. He is himself rejected, in turn by the symbol of an American woman. He climbs through a labyrinth of steps only to cross a concrete bridge which is another symbol of cold commercialism. His final act occurs when he throws himself from the bridge and the mood here is simply execution. The film ends and the conclusion drawn is that you can't go back home again. You make your peace with a new environment, or perish. Technique : The rough draft was written in a very elastic manner so that a wide variety of changes could be made while shooting. Harsh sunlight and deep shadow were used to highlight the mood of the boy and his tumultuous emotions. Slow-motion, double exposure and reverse motion is used throughout the film. Although the technique is not perfect, in the Hollywood sense, this alone contributed much to the mood of the film. Exposure, tempo and cutting were excellent. "The Voices", made in 1953 ,uses a musical score but no dialog. According to Schmitz, "it is a new psychological film which is pure Freud ian in tone. It deals with a protagonist who has a sexual-religious paranoia. The very title, "The Voices", is the auto hallucination suffered by the subject." Schmitz went on to say that the Freudian symbols are authentic. The film can be divided into three actual parts. The main theme is simple conflict; but the treatment is unique because the viewer looks deep into the mind of the subject, sees him as he really is, and then sees him again as the subject thinks he really it. The protagonist is essentially an immature individual who has not made his peace with his spiritual self, nor has he evolved a compromise between relion and sex. The film traces his conflict, and the last sequences is a wonderful shot of the stumbling youth on a vast sandy beach, searching for some sort of sign. He hold the crucifix in his hand, and then, when he thinks that he has stumbled upon the essence of spirituality, and can literally walk on water — he does so and drowns in a murky stream. The third film, also made in 1953, and titled, "Dance of a Pagan" in color, with music, is the most radical of all. • See JOE SCHMITZ on Page 36