Review of The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) by Blake P — 22 Dec 2014

"All I'm guilty of is bad taste," Larry Flynt (Woody Harrelson) shrugs. He has recently founded pornographic magazine "Hustler," and after just a few months of success, he finds himself in the middle of a court case - the religious zealots, helicopter parents, and anti-pornography activists of the world are his enemies. They find Flynt's magazine to be even trashier than "Playboy." It's understandable: who wants a beloved figure like Santa Claus to be in the center of a severely lewd cartoon?

Hugh Hefner's ideals seem saintly in comparison to the more adventurous Flynt. Hefner can get past the censors by squeezing in "articles" in-between the nudes, the nudes themselves being somewhat playful rather than severely hardcore. Flynt, on the other hand, is much less conscientious. He wants high quality pictures, ones that are no-holds barred and as explicit as possible. He doesn't have time for articles nor does he much care about the sensitivity of the public. He wants to give the perverts of the nation what they want.

Now in his 70s, Flynt has been sued an obscene amount of times, whether it be regarding the magazine itself, the individuals he lampoons within its pages, or the people he offends. You can tell that "The People vs. Larry Flynt" is a great movie because, for two hours, we actually see Flynt as a sort of anti-hero, an advocate for free-speech and a man unafraid to push boundaries (even if the boundary line is so far away it looks like a dot). The film spans decades, covering his poverty coated childhood, his early days as a strip-club owner, his bombastic marriage to the unstable Althea Leasure (Courtney Love), the assassination attempt that paralyzed him from the waist down, and his court case filled '80s. He begins as a surprisingly smart businessman but declines after he is nearly killed.

"The People vs. Larry Flynt" is an ingenious comedy for the first hour or so, treating Flynt's down-and-dirty business with a tongue-in-cheek manner that fits like a glove. In his early years, he was eager to please, slightly naïve, and even charming. The transition from black comedy to wearisome drama would normally feel jarring, but Forman's direction never is purposefully funny or purposefully dark; he tells it like it is, and it just so happens that Flynt's life is just as full of laughs as it is of tragedies.

The post-assassination life of Flynt is what hits the hardest, considering it follows such a bubbly, ballsy first half. Althea has adopted a severe drug habit and Flynt himself rides around in a gold wheelchair, his speech slurry and out-of-control. "Hustler," if possible, has become even more tasteless, and Flynt's once impressive mansion is crumbling with the depressiveness of Norma Desmond's humble abode. As his life spirals out of control, we are reminded that one can hardly handle a great number of court cases, a near-killing, and pills and still be eager to please, slightly naïve, and even charming. But you can hardly be a pornographer and avoid the eventual grease that will consume your every move.

Harrelson is like a chameleon, adopting every single one of Flynt's mannerisms and then some. As the film travels through time, the titular figure changes his characteristics at a constant rate, but Harrelson doesn't merely change the way he talks and call it a day. He exudes Flynt's transitions so naturally that it is as if he's captured the man himself. Love is equally as terrific, giving Althea an infectious charisma that makes her final years all the more affecting.

"The People vs. Larry Flynt" may cover too many bases to be consistently enthralling, but rarely has a film made a controversial figure so likable, so compelling on the screen. Larry Flynt is a scumbag, as one character puts it, but never has a scumbag been so multi-faceted, so utterly eccentric. And, kind of brilliant.