Schizopolis

Schizopolis (also known as Steven Soderbergh's Schizopolis) is an experimental comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh in 1996 with a non-linear narrative.

Synopsis

Although the film does not have a linear plot, a skeletal structure exists, telling the same story from three different perspectives divided into three acts.

Act 1

The film's main character is Fletcher Munson (played by Soderbergh), an office employee working under Theodore Azimuth Schwitters, the leader of a self-help company/religion/lifestyle known as Eventualism, a clear reference to L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology. The audience sees the events unfold in the opening act through Fletcher's point of view.

Fletcher sees the underlying meaning in everything, paying more attention to what is meant, rather than what is said. As he progresses through his day the audience sees the lack of attention he is paying to the people around him, degrading to the point where he comes home for dinner and he and his wife illustrate their lack of communication by simply describing what they are saying.