Chappaqua (1966)

Director:

Conrad Rooks

Writer:

Conrad Rooks (writer)

Release Date:

16 April 1998 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Semi-autobiographical story of Conrad Rooks, who travels to France to undergo a drug-withdrawal cure...

Plot Keywords:

Drug Addict | Female Nudity | Surrealism | Erotic | Native American

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Jean-Louis Barrault	...	Dr. Benoit
Conrad Rooks	...	Russel Harwick
William S. Burroughs	...	Opium Jones
Allen Ginsberg	...	Messiah
Ravi Shankar	...	Sun God
Paula Pritchett	...	Water Woman
Ornette Coleman	...	Peyote Eater
Swami Satchidananda	...	The Guru
Moondog	...	The Prophet
Jill Lator	...	Sacrificed One
John Esam	...	The Connection
Ed Sanders	...	The Fugs
Rita Renoir
Penny Brown
Jacques Seiler

Runtime:

82 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Chappaqua Indian reservation, Chappaqua, New York, USA

Company:

Minotaur

Trivia:

First film of Hervé Villechaize.

Movie Connections:

References White Feather (1955)

Not the most entertaining film ever made, but interesting and unique

"Chappaqua" is definitely not for all tastes. I can see many viewers being bored by this and I really can't blame them. Its an incoherent and often self-indulgent underground film about various forms of drug addictions. However, if you're a fan of the Beat Generation (in particular William S. Burroughs), you'll enjoy this more psychedelic take on their material. Several major participants from the movement even appear in cameos, such as Burroughs and Ginsberg. The cast reads like a who's-who of the pre-Woodstock Greenwich Village scene.

The direction by auteur Conrad Rooks is quite innovative, making the film unique. His use of various low-budget psychedelic trip sequences with subsequent withdrawals makes a surrealistic and even frightening portrait of the effects of drugs on the individual. Unfortunately, his acting in the lead leaves a lot to be desired. Apparently the film is based around his own experiences, which makes his lead performance even more shameful since hes essentially playing himself. However, a typically strong performance from Jean-Louis Barrault balances out this shortcoming.

The most intriguing aspect of the film, in addition to the low-budget sense of surrealism, was the photography of many vintage spots which no longer exist. The trip down Times Square in New York past the various grindhouse theaters was really neat as was the various Beat performances (including the legendary Fugs). "Chappaqua" is a film with limited appeal and is often self-indulgent, but I was captivated by a lot of it. A failure perhaps, but an interesting one nonetheless. (6/10)