IN THE FILM "I SHOT ANDY WARHOL"
Playing with gender roles is a deliberate choice in the film, accentuating the radical feminist rants of Valerie Solanas. Femininity in men, masculinity in women, cross-dressing, homosexuality, crass conversations and uninhibited sexual freedom are rampant.
The cinematographic style is equally reputable, in that it's reminiscent of art house presentations. There are stark Factory scenes with long shots, no music, a rather raw cinema verité approach. Then there are party scenes with disorienting hand-held camera, dizzying colors, delirious music - followed by inserts of Solanas' monologues under a single spotlight, conjuring images of beatnik coffee house readings. All of these creative choices accentuate each scene.
The film maintains a degree of objectivity, which can be a challenging feat. While the audience can understand and empathize with Solanas, her madness is also wildly obvious. What's more, her complex seems to be a hybrid between the 1960's feminist uprising and the "15-minutes-of-fame" art house subculture. The film, in that sense, comments on far more than the mere event of the shooting. This docudrama is unadorned and straightforward, yet mesmerizing.
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