March 30

For Warren Beatty’s birthday I watched Lillith. The first thing that gets you is the beautiful black and white cinematography. Warren Beatty plays a recently discharged soldier who applies for work at a mental institution that is near the city in which he lives. When he meets someone in the street she says “I heard you were wounded or something” Warren replies “or something”. Warren gets the job. He treats all the patients as equals and tries to help them the best he can. On a picnic a woman, Jean Seberg drops her paintbrush and another patient Peter Fonda goes to get the brush. Warren has to help him climb back up.

During a staff meeting about Schizophrenia. There is a presentation with transparences. The camera shows the speaker’s head in between the legs of the projector.

Warren get caught up in the world of Jean. They become very close and intimate. When he finds out that Jean is also sleeping with a woman another patient he gets very upset. He fights both women and is forceful with Jean. He takes the women out for a movie, but doesn’t see the film. They wait outside a few moments and the film lets out, they go back to the institution. Later when a patient commits suicide Jean goes back into her old delusion of her brother’s death. The manager of the institution goes to see Warren but his is not in his room. There she sees the fish tank with the blond doll floating upside down and the photos of his ex-girl friend and Jean (who look a lot a like). She tracks him down at a bar. They talk very little. He gives a drink to a woman at the bar and says “This is for you Bit***.” He goes back to the institution and does something to Jean. The DVD froze so I don’t know exactly what happens (I may not want to know what happens). He goes through the hallway and on the grounds as if it is a normal occurrence. He sees the doctor and the manager and goes up to them “help me”.