The Second Coming of Suzanne

The Second Coming of Suzanne is a 1974 American drama film directed by Michael Barry. It stars Jared Martin as an obsessed San Francisco indie film maker who hires a beautiful woman called Suzanne (played by Sondra Locke) to star as a female Christ in his next film. Paul Sand co-stars as Suzanne's artist boyfriend. Richard Dreyfuss appears as a member of the crew who becomes concerned at the increasingly weird antics of the rest of the ensemble, which culminate in the crucifixion of Suzanne on a local hill. The film was inspired by the lyrics of Leonard Cohen's song "Suzanne", as heard on the soundtrack. The director's father Gene Barry is also featured, as a TV presenter, in a somewhat opaque sub-plot. The film music was recorded by Touch.

Cast

 * Sondra Locke as Suzanne
 * Paul Sand as Lee Simon
 * Jared Martin as Logan
 * Richard Dreyfuss as Clavius
 * Gene Barry as Jackson Sinclair
 * Gregory Enton as Heath
 * Penelope Spheeris as Margo
 * Rudy Lavalle as Cameraman
 * David Moody as Soundman
 * Robert Feero as S.F.

Production
Principal photography was originally set to start September 1, 1971, but was delayed until the following summer. Gene Barry raised the financing from private sources. Filming finally began July 31, 1972 in San Francisco and surrounding areas, and lasted "six or eight weeks". Locations include Sam's Anchor Café, Angel Island and the Lyford House in Tiburon, the Bay Bridge toll plaza, Golden Gate Park and downtown Berkeley.

Reception
The Second Coming of Suzanne won three medals for best first feature, film editing and cinematography at the Atlanta Film Festival. Joe Pollack of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gave the film two out of five stars, calling it "visually fascinating, but also strangely disconnected and extremely self-indulgent".