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:

France | Flashback | Erotica | Paris France | Nudity

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 How to Murder Your Wife (1965)

a near-perfect & often misunderstood masterpiece!

i'd been waiting with incredible & building excitement to see this film since i first learned of its existence in the mid-seventies when the American film institute's Catalog of Feature Films 1961-70 was made available. unfortunately this "feature" film runs only about 80 min. in length. but i think that's just about right for the careful pacing & overall content. i didn't get a chance to see it until 1997 when it was released on video. in all those years, i couldn't track down conrad rooks & connections with burroughs, ginsberg, et al. didn't yield anything of use however much i inquired. when i finally saw it, it did not disappoint me on any level even with that build up of incredible expectancy of greatness. the robert frank cinematography is amazingly beautiful, as usual (check out those panning, beautiful color lens-flares in the "peyote sequence"). the intriguing & eclectic shankar, glass, coleman & fugs soundtrack is perfectly utilized & integrated. the script is just about flawless & quite complex in it's sometimes subtle & sometimes not-so-subtle symbolism & arcane inferences. the acting may not be perfectly consistent, but is almost always arresting. filmed for at least a couple of years before it was released, it truly is a pioneering effort of its genre (if you can classify that genre). rooks' direction is masterful, particularly when you consider the complexities delved into with this subject matter. & finally, its self-reflexive touches are appropriate, intrinsic & not overdone. definitely miss this one if yer brain-dead!

-bobby cormier