... an acerbic and, in many ways, dispiriting portrait of masculinity and male sexuality in the post-World War II culture.
Carnal Knowledge (1971)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted: 27
Fresh: 24
Rotten:3
Average Rating: 7.7/10
Runtime: 2 hrs
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Charting the shift in America's sexual mores over the course of three decades, Mike Nichols's thoroughly provocative drama focuses on the bitter experiences of two middle-class American males.... Charting the shift in America's sexual mores over the course of three decades, Mike Nichols's thoroughly provocative drama focuses on the bitter experiences of two middle-class American males. Jonathan (Jack Nicholson), a cruel but charismatic misogynist, and Sandy (Art Garfunkel), a bland idealist, meet as roommates at a small New England college in the 1940s. As their friendship progresses through the following decades, their search for the ideal woman leads to failed marriages, bad relationships, and emotional emptiness. Nichols is particularly adept at negotiating the twisted psychological terrain established by acclaimed cartoonist-turned-screenwriter Jules Feiffer. While Nicholson is, as always, fascinating to watch, the supporting women, including Candice Bergen and Ann-Margret, supply the film with its soul. In addition to employing a shadowy film noir technique that underscores the movie's exploration of the uncertainty in relationships, Nichols also shoots CARNAL KNOWLEDGE in long close-ups, which adds even more intensity to the already savage, bleak vision of men, women, and ill-fated romance. [More]
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergen, Art Garfunkel, Ann-Margret
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergen, Art Garfunkel, Ann-Margret, Rita Moreno, Carol Kane, Cynthia O'Neal
Director: Mike Nichols
Director: Mike Nichols
Screenwriter: Jules Feiffer
Producer: Mike Nichols
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Reviews for Carnal Knowledge
A pretentious and uneven provocative moralistic adult drama about coping with the "sexual revolution" among the middle-class males.
A rather superficial and limited probe of American male sexual hypocrisies.
Deeply felt critique of middle-class sexual politics, and one of the better films of formerly interesting director Mike Nichols.
The picture has its moments of chilling insight, though essentially it is one more quaint early-70s stab at an American art cinema that never materialized.
Misunderstood by critics and viewers, Nichols' satire of male chauvinism is by turns witty, provocative, funny, and depressing. The film was so controversial in 1971 that it went all the way to the Supreme Court for obscenity charges.
This was never quite the major assault on sexism and male chauvinism it set itself up to be.
Stays within the universe of its characters, and inhabits it totally. And within that universe, men and woman fail to find sexual and personal happiness because they can't break through their patterns of treating each other as objects.
Uma interessante análise sobre a sexualidade masculina e – o mais importante – a forma com que os próprios homens a enxergam.
While one might applaud its intent, Carnal Knowledge succeeds only in being self-righteous and dull.
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