Warhol the Film Director

Warhol the film director explored cinema as an anti-medium, challenging time, control, and the very definition of film.

Justice Jackson | January 2018

Andy Warhol has appeared in countless Hollywood films over the past few decades. Well, maybe not the artist himself, but many representations of him have surfaced on screen. From Crispin Glover in The Doors (1991) to Bill Hader in Men in Black 3 (2012), Warhol has lived on in popular cinema for years. However, long before these portrayals ever appeared, Warhol was already making films of his own. Many of them remain unseen by most audiences. Even fewer people have heard of them. Drifting deep into the avant-garde, these works nevertheless had much to say about traditional filmmaking.

Warhol and Anti-Film

Warhol’s films were not the kind you would watch with popcorn in a local theater. In fact, they pushed so far into the avant-garde that many consider them anti-films. In the early 1960s, Warhol created works such as Eat (1963), Kiss (1963), Haircut (1963), and Sleep (1964). Sleep, for instance, runs five hours and twenty-one minutes and shows Warhol’s friend John Giorno sleeping.

Small changes appear only occasionally. These moments remind the viewer that the work is, in fact, a film. Sometimes the change comes from Warhol himself, such as a camera adjustment. More often, it comes from the subject. Giorno’s subtle movements while asleep dictate the film’s rhythm. In this way, Warhol hands control to the actor. This approach reverses the usual power structure of filmmaking, where directors dominate and actors respond. It is just one of the many ways Warhol subverted the medium.

Film still from Empire by Andy Warhol, John Palmer
Andy Warhol, John Palmer, Empire (1964). Original film elements preserved by The Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Time, Stillness, and Empire

Another Warhol film, Empire (1965), runs for just over eight hours and consists entirely of a single shot of the Empire State Building. Like Sleep, it barely resembles a conventional film. Movement is rare. This is striking, given that film is typically defined as a “motion picture.”

Here, too, Warhol minimizes signs that time is passing. A flashing light or the gradual shift from day to night provides the only cues. Warhol also slowed the film to sixteen frames per second instead of the standard twenty-four. The extended runtime reinforces the experience of duration. Eight hours mirrors the length of a typical workday. Notably, Warhol chose the tallest building in one of the busiest cities in the United States—a place where time often feels invisible. In this sense, Empire becomes a meditation on the city itself, and perhaps on modern life.

Still from a Screen Test of Edie Sedgwick
Still from a Screen Test of Edie Sedgwick, 1964

Screen Tests and the Gaze

Another key facet of Warhol’s filmography lies in his screen tests. Warhol created nearly 500 of them. He filmed the many people who passed through The Factory, from close friends to celebrities such as Dennis Hopper and Edie Sedgwick. These films channel his obsession with celebrity by placing ordinary individuals directly under the camera’s gaze.

Warhol treated his screen test subjects the same way he treated his film actors. He gave them full control. They could do or say whatever they wished. Meanwhile, the camera remained still. In many ways, this anticipates reality television. Those in front of the lens determined what unfolded. For some, the experience felt uncomfortable or embarrassing. For others, it offered a brief taste of stardom.

The Mundane as Spectacle

As a whole, Warhol’s films focus on the mundane. He places the spotlight on what most people would otherwise overlook. By capturing these moments on film, he elevates them. A sleeping man or a static building receives the same attention Hollywood gives explosions or fast cars.

Film, after all, has the power to capture time. When used deliberately, it can also immortalize it. In Warhol’s hands, the ordinary becomes unforgettable.

Sources

Start typing and press enter to search