Since (1966) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A staged assassination repeatedly replays presidential roles until performance, violence, and absurdity become indistinguishable.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

Roles Before Reality

The film introduces a television-like playback structure in which performers may change identities. An assassination is announced before the performers establish a stable version of the event.

Key Events

• Flexible Role Framework — The voice introduces playback, slow motion, and performers freely assuming roles. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Assassination Plan Announced — An assassination is announced, and two performers appear as hired assassins. Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• First Shooting Setup — A performer waves red paper as blood, and an assassin shoots with a banana. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Speech To The Public — The presidential performer reads a speech to the American people after the staged shooting. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson Location: Film set
• Assassination Restaged — The shooting is repeated as the camera zooms toward crumpled paper blood. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set

Rehearsing The Presidency

The shooting is repeatedly restaged with red paper, bananas, slow motion, and a couch used as a motorcade. The first-lady role is reassigned and treated as an unstable performance.

Key Events

• Assassination Restaged — The shooting is repeated as the camera zooms toward crumpled paper blood. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Motorcade Leap Repeated — The first-lady performer leaps over a couch standing in for the presidential car. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson Location: Couch motorcade
• Slow Motion Breakdown — The leap and shooting are ordered again in slow motion, while sound cuts out. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• First Lady Reassigned — The performer is told to become Lady Bird Johnson and is criticized for treating the role casually. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson Location: Film set
• Poverty And Paranoia — The War on Poverty is mentioned, followed by a remark about omitting poverty and paranoia. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy Location: Film set
• Death Declared — A performer lies in blood, and the staged president is declared dead. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set

Execution As Playback

The assassin performers are escorted through a passageway and ordered to repeat the violence for greater shock. The Oswald and Ruby identities become interchangeable during the staged execution.

Key Events

• Death Declared — A performer lies in blood, and the staged president is declared dead. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Passageway Escort — The two assassin performers are taken through a passageway by unseen Secret Service agents. Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Passageway
• Trauma Rehearsal — The shooting is ordered again because the first version was judged insufficiently traumatic. Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Passageway
• Ruby Shoots Oswald — Malanga plays Ruby and shoots Cutrone's Oswald, who later falls before reporters. Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Slow Motion Announcement — A voice announces the slow-motion version before demanding a regular rapid-motion version. Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Inflatable Message Appears — An inflatable Baby Ruth bar appears as a strange message inside the performance. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy Location: Film set

The Motorcade Collapses

The presidential motorcade is replayed while performers debate the scene and receive an inflatable Baby Ruth bar as a message. The performance becomes increasingly hostile and incoherent.

Key Events

• Inflatable Message Appears — An inflatable Baby Ruth bar appears as a strange message inside the performance. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy Location: Film set
• Motorcade Replayed — The motorcade debate continues before another staged shooting and repeated camera zooms. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Presidential motorcade set
• Attention Redirected — The performers are told to keep attention away from Jack and create a vague scene. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Baby Ruth Assault — Malanga and Cutrone rush in, drop inflatable bars, and beat the other participants. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set

Absurd Presidential Finale

The performers are beaten with inflatable bars, while whips and another staged shooting intensify the spectacle. A press conference and a final kick of the inflatable bar end the film.

Key Events

• Baby Ruth Assault — Malanga and Cutrone rush in, drop inflatable bars, and beat the other participants. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Whips And Transfer — The performers appear with whips during an announced prison transfer and congratulate the new president. Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Final Ruby Shooting — Malanga again plays Ruby and shoots Cutrone's Oswald before a press conference is enacted. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Press Conference Ending — A press conference is performed while one participant cracks a whip and asks for something to get high with. Characters: Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby, Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set
• Bar Kicked Skyward — The film ends as the inflatable Baby Ruth bar is kicked into the air several times. Characters: Lee Harvey Oswald/Jack Ruby Location: Film set

Story Breakdown

• Role System — The film establishes flexible identities and a television-like playback method.
  • Playback Rules — The opening voice explains tape playback, slow motion, and rapid motion.
  • Unstable Identities — Performers are allowed to assume roles by choice rather than maintain fixed portrayals.
• Assassination Setup — The performers create an improvised presidential assassination scenario.
  • Assassins Appear — Two performers enter as hired assassins.
  • Red Paper Blood — A performer uses red paper to represent the shooting.
• Motorcade Rehearsal — The assassination is reconstructed through repeated gestures, objects, and camera manipulation.
  • Couch Motorcade — A couch stands in for the presidential car.
  • Slow Motion Leap — The motorcade action is repeated with slowed movement and interrupted sound.
• First Lady Shift — The first-lady identity changes while political language is treated as improvised dialogue.
  • Role Reassignment — The Jacqueline Kennedy role is redirected toward Lady Bird Johnson.
  • Poverty Omitted — The War on Poverty becomes a remark about omitting poverty and paranoia.
• Oswald Ruby Loop — The assassin identities become a cycle of staged arrest, execution, and repeated playback.
  • Passageway Escort — The assassin performers are taken through a passageway.
  • Repeated Execution — Ruby shoots Oswald and the event is restaged for greater impact.
• Inflatable Disruption — The inflatable Baby Ruth bar transforms the political reenactment into physical and symbolic disorder.
  • Strange Message — An inflatable bar appears as an unexplained message.
  • Bar Assault — The assassin performers use inflatable bars to beat the participants.
• Final Spectacle — The film closes by combining political ceremony, staged violence, and absurd physical action.
  • Whip And Press — A press conference is enacted while a performer cracks a whip.
  • Kicked Finale — The inflatable bar is kicked into the air repeatedly as the film ends.

Directed by

Andy Warhol

Key Cast

• Ondine — Lyndon B. Johnson
• Ingrid Superstar — Jacqueline Kennedy/Lady Bird Johnson
• Susan Bottomly — Jacqueline Kennedy
• Mary Woronov — John F. Kennedy
• Richard Rheem — John Connally