Based on material from Sandra Bernhard’s one-woman, off-Broadway show of the same name, Without You I’m Nothing (1990), directed by John Boskovich and executive produced by Nicolas Roeg, sees the multi-hyphenate Bernhard perform an unconventional and provocative mix of stand-up, musical comedy, and monologue onstage at The Coconut Grove in Los Angeles. Backstage, Bernhard introduces herself to the audience in her dressing room: “I have one of those hard-to-believe faces,” she says defiantly, as if daring someone to argue with her.
Bernhard’s face does not fit within the rigid conventions of mainstream beauty, nor does her iconoclastic sense of humor agree with the consumerist, feel-good norms of popular comedy. But Bernhard’s tooth gap and bold, sarcastic wit are what make her so compelling to watch. Usually, when stars play versions of themselves, they strive to make themselves look good. And though Bernhard looks great in the various wigs and colorful costumes that transform her into different characters throughout her set, she's also often the butt of her own jokes—she both embodies and parodies stardom. For example, one of Bernhard's characters convinces herself that she will find her ideal husband because she bought the right shampoo and the perfect dress. “I look really pretty,” she sighs.
No one reacts. In fact, Bernhard’s cabaret audience is utterly indifferent to her antics for the entire 90-minute runtime of the film. By the time Bernhard is dancing to Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” wearing only pasties and an American flag g-string for the infamous finale, the camera pulls back to reveal that there is no audience left, except one woman who leaves an angry message in red lipstick. The film employs many such fluid and unexpected camera movements, as well as multiple 360 degree turns, to disorient and surprise the observer.
Through her fearless performance, Bernhard bulldozes over the lines between the spectator and herself. She points out the sheer absurdity behind the commodification of celebrities in the United States, without which American culture would not exist. Of course, these themes were also major driving forces behind Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy (1982), which provided Bernhard with her breakout role as Rupert Pupkin’s accomplice, the deluded kidnapper Masha. In today’s social media driven culture, which incentivizes people to shape their identities based on buying products, curating images, and forming parasocial relationships with celebrities, Without You I’m Nothing stands out as a prophetic piece of performance art.
Without You I’m Nothing screens tonight, November 1, at the Roxy as part of “Without You I’m Nothing with Ivy Wolk.”
