Review of Carnal Knowledge (1971) by Harry W — 22 Feb 2015

Featuring performances from both Jack Nicholson and Arthur Garfunkel, Carnal Knowledge sounded like a well-acted feature.

Controversial upon its original release for its sexually explicit nature, it is difficult to understand why when looking back at it. In Australia, the film is rated R18+ even though it is very tame by today's standards. There are many things about Carnal Knowledge that feel dated, and the subject matter of the film is the endeavour of it all. For one thing, Carnal Knowledge is often referred to as a comedy which uses sexual satire. For me, I could not find this. There was not a moment in the film that I laughed, and by contemporary standards of comedy it is really difficult to identify what is supposed to be. Perhaps the humour comes simply from the fact that Carnal Knowledge is willing to confront sexual themes from a time where it is social taboo, including the occasionally juvenile actions of men in their approach to sex. Either way, it is difficult to find Carnal Knowledge to be much of a comedy by today's standards. You could say the same director Mike Nichols' previous film The Graduate, although there is a slightly more clear sense of comedic charm in that film which is not as easy to find in Carnal Knowledge. I felt that the film succeeded as a drama, but as a comedy I couldn't find myself identifying that. To add to the dated nature of Carnal Knowledge, it follows a classical style of filmmaking more iconic of films from its own timeframe. In that sense, it is a film which really stretches the premise rather far with a slow pace without always being fully engaging and it follows conventional routes in terms of cinematography as well. Frankly, by todays standards there is not too much to be surprised by in Carnal Knowledge, but that does not necessarily mean that it is not an enjoyable feature.

Nevertheless, one of the most key aspects of Carnal Knowledge succeeding is the directorial work of Mike Nichols because of how well he handles the screenplay by Jules Feiffer. It largely feels like a play which makes sense considering that it was originally written as one, and perhaps it would be a little better in that medium than as a film. But since it acquired a cinematic adaptation, Mike Nichols got on board and helmed the feature in a successful path. Carnal Knowledge deals with the concept of sexual relations from the time period of 1971, the exact year when depictions of sex and violence had gone through a significant surge in the world of cinema. But by comparison to the many other more notable films of that year, Carnal Knowledge is not even close to being as explicit. The difference is that Carnal Knowledge takes such an intellectual and theoretical approach to its subject matter that more of the narrative occurs in the dialogue than in the imagery, and so it can hardly be called an explicit film. But it isn't exactly the most insightful either. Carnal Knowledge doesn't precisely delve into the complex psychology of relationships and sex but rather conveys a sense of what is actually occurring in society. Carnal Knowledge is a slow film, but it is mostly worth waiting around for because as it gets more involved in the narrative, it explores the progressively complex nature of the relationship shared between two heterosexuals and the connection of two friends. While it is not as deep or complex as it could have been, there is certainly interesting themes to take away from it, predominantly because of the nature of the characters. Best of all, working with the screenplay, the cast in Carnal Knowledge manage to make it an effectively entertaining film.

Jack Nicholson's leading performance in Carnal Knowledge is predictably strong. As the central reason that I watched the film, I can safely say that I was satisfied with his efforts in Carnal Knowledge simply because he once again proves how well he can play the role of an everyman. In an effort similar to his Academy Award nominated leading performance from Five Easy Pieces the previous year, Jack Nicholson takes on the role of Jonathan Fuerst with an easy going and casual nature during most of the simpler scenes in the film, progressively getting more powerful in his expression of drama as his interactions with the other characters increase in tension. He develops the role really well and as he changes over the course off the story, he grips the character with his natural ability to create a refreshing tenacity. Jack Nicholson works the material in Carnal Knowledge with flawless ease, and the highlight of his role predominantly comes into play as his chemistry with Ann-Margaret progresses through the narrative. The two of them work really well together, and Jack Nicholson has no problem delivering his best efforts, so he does exactly what I could have hoped from the legendary actor.

Ann-Margaret also delivers a strong effort. Considering the taboo behind cinematic depictions of sexuality around the time of Carnal Knowledge, her role in the film is a courageous one because she portrays the woman in an unhappy relationship who spends so much time just tolerating her partner's demands before finding a voice for herself. She promotes a strong character, and she even has no fear about appearing nude in the film which takes a lot of courage. Her dedication to the subject matter and her performance are both admirable, so she is a key aspect of the success in Carnal Knowledge.

Arthur Garfunkel also delivers a strong performance.

So Carnal Knowledge is a dated film which isn't as insightful or funny as it wants to be and feels like it would function better as a play, the examination of relationships proves that it has a strong screenplay which is handled very well by Mike Nichols and is led by strong performances from Jack Nicholson and Ann-Margaret who deal justice to the screenplay very nicely.