Allegories of Cinema ALLEGORIES American Film in OF CINEMA the Sixties David E. James PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS Copyright © 1989 by Princeton University Press Published by Princeton University Press, 41 William Street Princeton, New Jersey 08540 In the United Kingdom: Princeton University Press, Guildford, Surrey All Rights Reserved This book has been composed in Linotron Sabon and Gill Sans Clothbound editions of Princeton University Press books are printed on acid-free paper, and binding materials are chosen for strength and durability. Paperbacks, although satisfactory for personal collections, are not usually suitable for library rebinding Printed in the United States of America by Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey James, David E., 1945- Allegories of cinema : American film in the sixties / David E'James, p. cm. Bibliography: p. Includes index, ISBN 0-691-04755-3 (alk. paper): ISBN 0-691-00604-0 (pbk.) I. Motion pictures—United States—History. 2. Experimental films— United States—History and criticism. 3. Motion pictures—Political aspects—United States. I. Title. PNI993.5.U6J27 1988 791.43'0973—del 9 88-9852 CIP Designed by Laury A. Egan For my mother and father Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi 1 Considering the Alternatives 3 The Mode of Film Production 5 Allegories of Production: The Case of Easy Rider 12 Film and Mass Culture 18 Alternative Cinemas 22 The Crisis in Hollywood 25 Stan Brakhage: The Filmmaker as Poet 29 2 3 Andy Warhol: The Producer as Author 58 4 Underground Film: Leaping from the Grave 85 Film and the Beat Generation 85 Making Us More Radiant: Jonas Mekas 100 Underground Cinema I 19 Practice in the Profilmic: Ron Rice et al. I 20 Practice in the Filmic: Jordan Belson I 27 Projection as Practice: Light Shows and S.F. Trips Festival, An Opening I 33 The Idea of Practice: Cinema beyond Film I 37 Underground Intertextuality 140 The Critique of Authenticity: The Kuchars I 43 Film That Cannot Be One: Kenneth Anger I 49 A Filmmaker: Bruce Conner I 56 Coda: Bruce Baillie's Quixote I 59 5 Political Film/Radical Cinema: From Dissent to Revolution 166 Representation: On Film/ln Cinema 166 Cinema and Black Liberation 177 Film and the War: Representing Vietnam 195 Revolutionary Cinema: From Representation to Practice 21 3