I've always preferred Japanese existentialism to French existentialism. This film dwells more in the latter, but the execution is to die for. An incisive meditation on alcoholism, herd mentality, isolationism, individuality, solipsism, and the ebb and flow of life's absurdity. Themes of sexual frustration also abound, hence the oft-mentioned horn(s). All of this heavy stuff is masterfully leavened with feather to nose doses of well-timed humor. Zero Mostel was a comedic genius and his "transmogrification" into a rhinoceros is one of his greatest performances and also one of his most hilarious. It gave me paroxysms of gale-force laughter. Karen Black was naturally kooky as ever and it really worked well with the palpably absurd material and lines she was fed. Wilder was wildly inconsistent as usual, often annoying and endearing in the same scene. Let's remember what Wilde said about consistency though, it is the last refuge of the unimaginative. Though I believe Wilder was channeling Sartre's epigram of Hell is other people here. In any event, more like a Hippo than a Rhino, he brings specific gravity to the proceedings, though very little gravitas; Mostel more than makes up for Wilder's shortcomings though. If only he were utilized in more scenes. Listen closely and you may catch the name Eugene Ionesco dropped in the dialogue (what a self-congratulatory dandy!). Still, it's one of those films you'll surely get a charge out of. Hard to find, but worth the search.
