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And what is the “plot” of the film? It’s perhaps a more enlightening question to go back to his production notes and ponder: what was the inspiration/purpose of the film? Greaves’ aim was to mix up acting philosophy, psychology, social philosophy, the politically charged dynamics of the time, race, and gender, under the guise of a “screen test” for an as yet to be determined film. Greaves had a variety of actors rehearse extended scenes (written by him in very purple prose) of two longtime lovers having a major blowout fight in Central Park. Greaves had a crew film the production crew, and then had another crew film them. His goal was to attempt to capture all the elements that impact the making of a film, up to and including outsiders who might wander into the frame, passers-by, homeless people, those who simply like to watch films being made and wend them into his cinematic stew.

The catch is that he deliberately never told any of the actors or crew that he was doing this. He wanted to see at what point they would rebel against his authority. The second catch is that because they were working for him because they respected him, they were reluctant to do just that. What resulted is one of the most fascinating cases of “mutiny on the set” ever. The crew confiscated some film and filmed themselves in roundtable/rap sessions (with more than a few blunts being passed around) to discuss among themselves exactly what in the hell was going on. Greaves never saw this footage until production was complete. In pushing back against him on the sly, they unknowingly added to the project’s success, by giving Greaves a Greek chorus who usually manage to mirror any given audience’s general reaction by the time they show up on screen (after the first reel). With that said, it may be easiest to catalog a few reasons for what makes Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One so compelling and, yes, entertaining.

Reason #1: Greaves is charismatic and handsome and ingratiating, and an impossibly young looking 42-years-old. I don’t wish to reduce him to looks, but since he is onscreen as much as his actors and crew, it helps that he has a pleasant visage and a charming demeanor and adopts the complete opposite of a dictatorial personality. He does sway between sporting a slightly naïve tone at times and other times where he leaves no doubt that he knows what he is pushing his cast and crew towards, but he also remains impossible to read through his actions.

Reason #2: His decision to cut in the “rap session” footage filmed in secret by his crew. As he acknowledges in a 2006 interview, their rebellion gave him something to use as dramatic conflict and it was in line with one of his stated aims for the project to achieve, but it was also a bold act for him to offset the image he projects during the film production with the less rosy view his collaborators take of him in their discussion. It resembles nothing so much as the confessional camera in any number of reality shows (Big Brother, Survivor, The Bachelor), but with intelligent discussion instead of just strategy, motives, and disses.

Reason #3: Bob Rosen. With his nerd’s glasses, white t-shirt hipster facial hair, and “what, me worry?” facial expressions, production manager Rosen leads the charge in the crew’s grievances, but comes across as the philosophy undergrad you wouldn’t mind passing the bong around with on the weekend. He tends to dominate the discussion but also helps guide it along. He is comic relief, audience surrogate, and an articulate instigator all in one. And if his IMDb filmography is to be believed, he went on to produce everything from Gilligan’s Island to Strawberry Shortcake specials to The Crow to late ‘90s Leslie Nielsen comedy spoofs. I have nothing to add regarding any of those.

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