Die Kunst zu lieben

For the first half hour the characters are so disgusting and terrible, the feeling of bile rising in my throat doesn't subside. These are the people who I have known. And while I cannot bring myself to turn it off, I also can't help but fondly remember watching all of his movies that he made before this one, the spark that say The Graduate or Catch-22 had, and this just feels a little flat. But at the same time, it seems to completely succeed in doing what it sets out to do, creating something suffocatingly real, like watching the most depressing moments in my life played back for me with dim lighting and blonder actresses. The fact that Candice Bergen goes away after that also helps. Upper middle class ennui is something that's almost always tedious to watch, but this is actually affecting. Nonetheless, this feels like the beginning of the end for Mike Nichols. He would never again make anything on a level with Catch-22, and he followed this one up with Day of the Dolphins. Seriously. wtf. Also for the curious, pop star Arthur Garfunkle (as the back of the DVD box puts it) gives a surprisingly strong performance in this.

"Carnal Knowledge": A DVD Movie Review

This fascinating film, crafted in 1971 directed by Mike Nichols, is a product of the American sexual repression of it's time. Banned in many venues, this did not deter this movie from becoming an American classic. It explores the dysfunction of American sexual relations of the time.

This film is so well written, so well directed, and so magnificently acted, that to watch it, provokes great introspection. The subject matter is that of the title. It is the story of four people's journey through human friendship and sexual relations that is profound and significant.

The weaving in and out of these relationships between these four people is mesmerizing. The movie starts with a college roommate relationship between two young men, draws in a mutual love affair, and through these friend's professional careers, compares and contrasts, the normal family man's constant blase sexual life, with the playboy's, at first exciting affairs, then his degradation into impotence. It is a very sad story.

The script is presented in the first person, with the two male characters telling their stories, to whit the two female characters provide the emotional foil that reflects upon the male's soliloquies. The characters in this film provide a tour-de-force in the acting of the human heart.

The two male stars of this movie, Jack Nicholson, and Art Garfunkel are really good in their rooting of this movie. They are in some ways the center. But their masculine performances really take a second seat to the two female stars.

In the first part of the film Candace Bergen as Susan is almost breathtaking in her portrayal of the perfect sorority girl who has to choose between compassion and passion. She chooses compassion over the emotional doom of her passionate boyfriend. This crux of relationships is the focus of this film. The man chosen by the perfect Susan lives a life of boredom and order, with underlining sadness, but yet a sort of satisfaction.

The passionate man that Susan left behind, is a sad product of the cynicism of the free love and sexuality of the time. And this lost man takes up with the ultimate tragic female film character's cheese cake Bobbie, who's characterization by the red haired ultra voluptuous Ann-Margaret, is perhaps the most heart wrenching and beautiful portrayal of a tragic female heroine of emotion ever put on the silver screen.

In the end this film is the tragedy of the sexual mediocrity of everyday life and the failure of those that attempt the provocative. This is a great film, the DVD widescreen transference, necessary for it's back and forth conversational scenes, is first rate. This classic Adult film is recommended and costs practically nothing these days on the internet market.

B. A. Draper

The sexual adventures of Jonathan and Sandy. From college to mid-life crises, we see their attitude to the opposite sex and how their male organ leads them to lower depths. A fascinating script from Jules who isn't afraid to show how some men really are. Nichols' direction has the European flavor, allowing the stunning performances to take over with the help of Giuseppe Rotunno's unobtrusive photography. The amazing thing is that this film is still relevant to some of today's modern male species. The writer and director teamed up recently and made CLOSER, for today's generation. Watch the two movies back to back and you'd see the similarities in style and substance after thirty years.

Telling the sordid, often depressing story of two men and their sexual hangups over several decades, director Mike Nichols and writer Jules Fieffer concoct a thinking man's dirty movie. At times it's not easy to watch, but it's mostly entertaining and beautifully made. Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel are the men ---Nicholson is the callous, emotionally detached one, Garfunkel is the romantic. He marries college sweetheart Candice Bergen, while Nicholson shacks up with sexy Ann-Margret. The scenes with Nicholson and Ann-Margret are cringe-inducing. Nicholson, Garfunkel and Bergen are terrific and Nichol's clever casting of Ann-Margret, putting her sex kitten image through the blender, pays off in spades...she's the best thing in the movie. The supporting cast includes Carol Kane and Rita Moreno.

The plot begins with Jonathan (Jack Nicholson) and Sandy (Art Garfunkel) roommates in the university. Each one of them has a different behavior and experience with women: Jonathan is cynical, malicious, and selfish. He does not respect anybody (even his best friend is not respected) and just want to have sex. Women are objects for him. Sandy is almost the opposite of Jonathan and has a different approach with women: he is shy and respectful, he does not have much experience with women. These characteristics are presented in the film having Susan (the gorgeous Candice Bergen, the most beautiful actress of the 70's) as pivot. Then the story advances a few years and shows both of them successful in their professions and boring with their mates. The character of Susan (who married Sandy) is just occasionally mentioned and does not appear on the screen any more. Now, we see basically the relationship of Jonathan with Bobbie (the sexy Ann-Margret). Then, there is another jump in time and other relationship of Jonathan and Sandy are presented in this movie, since its essence is about relationship of men and woman having the focus mainly in Jonathan.

In 1971, I was too young to watch this movie and certainly I would not understand most of the story. Only a couple of days ago I had the chance of seeing it. It is amazing how this movie for adults has not aged. Further, it does not look like an American movie. The camera, the screenplay, it does look like European movie (maybe a little of 'Jules and Jim'). All the actors and actresses have outstanding performance, but certainly Jack Nicholson and Ann-Margret are superb. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Ânsia de Amar" ("Eagerness for Love")

Note: On 18 January 2014, I saw this movie again.