''Since'' (also known as ''Kennedy’s Assassination'') is a 1966 film directed by

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...

about the assassination of the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. The film reconstructs the assassination with both Kennedy and

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

present, both before and after the event. The roles in ''Since'' are performed by Warhol's "superstars" from

The Factory The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities and Warhol's superstar ...

. The film is based on the media coverage of the assassination and the speeches of Johnson, who succeeded Kennedy as

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

. The film is 67 minutes long, and shot on 16 mm film in color. It has been described as

unfinished Unfinished may refer to: *Unfinished creative work, a work which a creator either chose not to finish or was prevented from finishing. Music * Symphony No. 8 (Schubert) "Unfinished" * ''Unfinished'' (album), 2011 album by American singer Jor ...

Background

Warhol had been unmoved by the Kennedy assassination, commenting that he wasn't bothered that he was dead, but was bothered by "...the way the television and radio were programming everybody to feel so sad. It seemed like no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't get away from the thing." Warhol had already created the

silkscreen Screen printing is a printing technique where a mesh is used to transfer ink (or dye) onto a substrate, except in areas made impermeable to the ink by a blocking stencil. A blade or squeegee is moved across the screen to fill the open me ...

paintings ''Sixteen Jackies'', ''Nine Jackies'', ''Jackie (The Week That Was)'' and ''Gold Jackie'' of Jacqueline Kennedy, and explored the reporting of the assassination in a series of eleven prints, ''Flash - November 22, 1963''.

Plot

The film begins with a close up of Ondine, with an off-screen voice saying that the film will follow the "Oswald model on television". The voice adds that "First it happened, then it was played back in tape, and then it was played back in slow motion." The voice also says that the performers don't have to maintain "stiff character portrayals" and are free to assume other roles, assuming they have "assumed that role by choice originally." The voice says that the setting of the film is not in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

, a fact immediately contradicted by Ondine, playing Lyndon Johnson. Ondine indicates that Ingrid Superstar is Jacqueline Kennedy, after initially assuming that he himself was President Kennedy in confusion. Ondine announces his intention to hire assassins, and

Gerard Malanga Gerard Joseph Malanga (born March 20, 1943) is an American poet, photographer, filmmaker, actor, curator and archivist. Early life Malanga was born in the Bronx in 1943, the only child of Italian immigrant parents. In 1959, at the beginning of ...

and

Ronnie Cutrone Ronnie Cutrone (July 10, 1948 – July 21, 2013) was an American pop artist known for his large-scale paintings of some of America's favorite cartoon characters, such as Felix the Cat, Pink Panther, Woody Woodpecker and No Glove No Love. Style C ...

appear as assassins. In planning the assassination Ondine fails to remember the street on which it occurred, before saying that "I don't know, I didn't even see it." Playing Kennedy,

Mary Woronov Mary Woronov (born December 8, 1943) is an American actress, published author and figurative painter. She is primarily known as a " cult star" because of her work with Andy Warhol and her roles in Roger Corman's cult films. Woronov has appeared ...

waves a large sheet of red paper, indicating that she has been shot. Malanga then shoots Woronov with a banana, causing Ondine to exclaim that he was "a little late". Ondine then reads a speech to the American people. The assassination is then restaged, with Malanga shooting Woronov, and the camera zooming in on the red paper blood. Ingrid Superstar asks "Who got shot?" before playing with Richard Rheem's hair. Susan Bottomly, playing Jacqueline Kennedy, leaps over a couch, which acts as the car in the Presidential motorcade. Bottomly is asked to leap again in slow motion, and the sound cuts out.

then shoots Woronov, in pretend

slow motion Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slo-mo or slow-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use ...

, the camera again focuses on the crumpled paper blood. Ondine tells Ingrid Superstar to be

Lady Bird Johnson Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Johnson (''née'' Taylor; December 22, 1912 – July 11, 2007) was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 as the wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson. She previously served as Second Lady from 1961 to 1963 whe ...

, the new First Lady of the United States, and is annoyed that she is not taking her role seriously. The

War on Poverty The war on poverty is the unofficial name for legislation first introduced by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964. This legislation was proposed by Johnson in response to a national ...

is mentioned, and Superstar says that "We should omit poverty and paranoia." A man wearing a red shirt then portrays President Kennedy, and lies in a pool of blood. The TV show '' You Are There'' is referenced, and after someone mentions that they are on their way to the hospital, Ondine says of Kennedy that "He's dead". Cutrone, eating a banana, and Malanga, are taken by Secret Service agents through a passageway, and Malanga is shot. They are told to do it again as it wasn't a traumatic situation, and wouldn't "shock the world for four days". Cutrone then portrays

Lee Harvey Oswald Lee Harvey Oswald (October 18, 1939 – November 24, 1963) was a U.S. Marine veteran who assassinated John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, on November 22, 1963. Oswald was placed in juvenile detention at the age of 12 fo ...

, and Malanga, playing Jack Ruby, shoots him with a banana. The shooting is then restaged, Cutrone falls to his knees with reporters trying to interview him. Ruby is taken away. Cutrone smokes a cigarette, and a voice announces that this is the "slow motion version", but the "regular rapid-motion version" will have to be done." An inflatable

Baby Ruth Baby Ruth is an American candy bar made of peanuts, caramel, and milk chocolate-flavored nougat, covered in compound chocolate. It is distributed by the Ferrara Candy Company, a subsidiary of Ferrero. History In 1920, the Curtiss Candy Comp ...

chocolate bar then appears. The participants in ''Since'' wave to the camera at the start of the second reel of film. Ondine says "There's Neiman Marcus", to which Susan Bottomly, playing Jacqueline Kennedy says "Oh, Hi". While the participants in the Presidential motorcade are discussing whether to have the top of the car down, Kennedy is shot by Oswald, and the camera zooms in and out on the crumpled red paper, and finally focuses on Ivy Nicholson's red stockings. Ondine then compliments Bottomly, calling her the "loveliest first lady we've ever had, outside of Abigail van Buren", and then an inflatable Baby Ruth bar is delivered as a message. The camera then quickly moves around while it is explained that President Kennedy has been shot. Ondine complains that the other characters are "absolutely boring", but praises Woronov claiming she "may have been the most interesting person here." Ondine then addresses the other participants, telling them to "keep attention away from Jack" and "play a kind of vague scene". Ondine then insults others and shouts "What the hell is the matter with you people?." Ondine then argues with Nicholson, but Malanga and Cutrone rush on and drop two inflatable Baby Ruth bars on the performers. The camera then blurs and Malanga and Cutrone reappear and beat the participants with the Baby Ruth bars. A voice announces that Oswald is being transferred from prison, and Malanga and Cutrone are shown with whips. Malanga and Cutrone congratulate Ondine on becoming president, and then Malanga as Jack Ruby shoots Cutone playing Oswald. A press conference is enacted, and Ondine imitates Edward R. Murrow to say thank you and good night. Malanga walks around the set cracking his whip, and then asks Ondine if he has "anything to get high with". The film ends after Cutrone kicks the inflatable Baby Ruth bar in the air several times.

Cast

* Ondine -

*Ingrid Superstar - Jacqueline Kennedy/

*Susan Bottomly, International Velvet - Jacqueline Kennedy *

- John F. Kennedy *Richard Rheem - John Connally *

- alternating the roles of

/ Jack Ruby *Ivy Nicolson *Randy Bourscheidt *Walter Dainwood *Henry Geldzahler

Reception

J. J. Murphy, in his 2012 book ''The Black Hole of the Camera: The Films of Andy Warhol'', wrote that ''Since'' "seems so heavily reliant on improvisation that at times it loses any clear sense of direction", and added that the film was quite "comedic". Murphy added that the participants in the film appeared to be "confused about events". Murphy says that ''Since'' shows the inability of a theatrical event to hold people's interest as it cannot deploy the same techniques that television does. Murphy concludes his analysis by saying that Warhol's restaging of the assassination was not as a historical event but thanks to television, as the "media spectacle it truly was."

References

External links