Carnal Knowledge (1971)

Despite it's subject matter, Carnal Knowledge directed by Mike Nichols from a script by cartoonist Jules Feiffer is a dud without a single likable or really interesting character. Nicholson's grating, Bergen lame and simpering, Ann-Margret more tiresome than the role calls for and non-actor Art Garfunkal keeps his head above water more or less. In support, a worn looking Rita Moreno has a good bit as a prostitute, Carol Kane cast for her freakish appearance says nothing and Cynthia O'Neal is repellently smug. Nichols' film is a series of cartoon panels with no sense of any life surrounding the characters. Nichols appears to have been influenced by the films of Bergman and Antonioni though he lacks their brilliance. The result is a dim view of human relationships that is unpleasant and pointless.

This movie shows us two male friends from college age to maturity and their relationships with women. Art Garfunkel as Jonathan and Jack Nicholson as Sandy are good friends with very different personalities who share a healthy libido focused on women, particularly Candace Bergen as Susan. The opening scene shows the two men attending a low-key social, with 1940's jazz music playing, where Sandy urges Jonathan to make a move towards Susan, the only other girl there. Susan soon becomes friends with Jonathan but also dates Sandy. Both benefit from sexual encounters with her. The story uses a visual technique that makes the viewer feel like a voyeur watching their private conversations and encounters with women. Often filmed in the dark with the characters close-up to the camera, the movie kept my attention. Jonathan is the "sensitive guy" who women supposedly prefer so Sandy uses some of his honest conversational style to win over Susan. Later in their lives, we find Jonathan married to Cindi, played by Cynthia O'Neil, and passingly happy. Sandy is facing a mid-life crisis as his girlfriend, played by Ann-Margret asks him to marry. Sandy looks at women as if they have to attain certain physical standards, a few more inches here, a bit less somewhere else, as if choosing a partner is like picking a good cut of meat. The nudity is explicit by the standards of 1971. The film is not prudish in dealing with sexuality. We see shower scenes with people getting dressed and undressed as common as lighting up a cigarette. The movie has a certain European feel with scenes standing as little vignettes. One scene shows two women sitting on a bench watching a tennis match with neither speaking a word until both leave and we see the image of a lonely bench. Not an upbeat movie, it is an impressive piece of film-making about sexuality in the 1970's.

This covers a time period from the 1940s to the 1960s in the lives of two friends, Johnathon (Jack Nicholson) and Sandy (Art Garfunkel). The main focus is on the women in their lives, but it is interesting to note that it is the friendship between the two men that survives some double-dealing by Johnathon (does anybody play the cad better than Nicholson?) and unstable relationships with women.When we first meet the two guys they are sharing a dorm room at Amherst. They talk a lot about sex and are just on the cusp of becoming active. Johnathon is on the trail-head to the path toward being a Lothario--he is mainly interested in sexual appearances. A pivotal scene toward the end has Johnathon presenting a slide show of his female conquests. On the other hand Sandy is shy and thinks he wants something deeper. Neither of the guys seems to be able to relate to women as equals but rather only as to how well their women can fulfill preconceived fantasies. When one of Johnathon's girlfriends tries to get serious he panics.On several occasions in the dorm conversations when certain women are mentioned Johnathon comments, "I wouldn't kick her out of bed." I recall that being a common phrase in the era of this movie. Thinking of the implications of that comment is sobering. Most of the time when I heard it I had the thought, "There is no way that you could *get* her into your bed." In judging the movie you have to keep in mind that it mostly takes place before the advent of the birth control pill and at a time when Playboy Magazine was still considered risqué. The music dates the episodes.Interesting to compare this with some contemporary (circa 2010) takes on the subject, maybe best illustrated by the movies of Judd Apatow and Richard Linklater. The modern take seems much lighter and less fraught. Many people see much humor in CN, but I see it playing more as a tragedy, both for the individuals and for the women of the time. It is hard to envision a happy future for either Johnathon or Sandy. They were doomed to be trapped by the dominant moral codes at the time while being destined to deal with more more independent women as time went on. It is a tragedy for the women who had to contend with such men as Johnathon and Sandy, and still do to a great extent.I found the acting to be uniformly good with Ann-Margaret being the standout as one of Johnathon's girlfriends. I was surprised that Garfunkel was credible, providing a good foil to Nicholson's dominating performance.

Carnal Knowledge (1971) **** (out of 4)Excellent drama from Mike Nichols takes a look at the three decade friendship between two men (Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkle) and their sex lives. The 1970s brought sex, language and nudity to the big screen and this here was one of the most controversial films of its time but it's also one of the greatest films that has ever dealt with sex and relationships. The movie is brutally raw in its anger, passion and conversations but this is what really makes it stand apart. The dialogue is perfect, the story structure is flawless and we're given some of the best performances that you're ever going to see. I really love the way Nichols structured the picture and especially in the beginning as we see the Garfunkle character fall for a girl (Candice Bergen) but never realizing that Nicholson has gone behind his back and started a relationship with her. The way this love triangle is shown is just flawless in its execution. The middle portion of the film deals with Nicholson's relationship with Bobbie (Ann-Margret) and this too is flawless but incredibly depressing. There's a masterful sequence with the two of them crying and fighting, which is as powerful as anything you're going to see from this era. The entire cast does a fabulous job fitting into their roles. There's no question about Nicholson's brilliance during this era and that includes this film where he plays such a jerk that you can't stand him. The real surprise here is Garfunkel and Ann-Margret, both of them giving the performances of their careers. Nichols' direction is among the best of his career and especially the way he milks the story so well to get every sort of emotion out of it. CARNAL KNOWLEDGE isn't a pretty film to watch due to how ugly the Nicholson character is but it's still one of the best acted films out there and the rawness is something missing from most movies today.