University of Virginia Library

Extremities

I can only use superlatives to
describe Feiffer's script. I had read
it several times prior to seeing the
film and was delighted with what I
thought sounded quite natural. On
the screen however, I realized how
wrong I was, for the dialogue is real
to the point of extremities, making
the characters, especially the males,
appear to be stereotypes.

This is important to realize, for
these creatures are no more "real"
than the people of "Little
Murders," the difference being that
Alan Arkin's direction and the
script let us know that the film was
a comedy. "Carnal Knowledge" is
never a comedy and never attempts
to be one, at least to my way of
thinking. What little laughter I
made was tempered with the
thought that I was snickering at
those dumb male chauvinists, and I
was certainly not one of those, ha, ha!

But the sense of identity is so
strong throughout the film that you
can't walk away without some
change in your attitude toward sex.
I realize that my remarks have been
addressed to the male audience, but
"Carnal Knowledge" is about men
and their weaknesses. It is not a
film that Women's Lib will
embrace, for the women are, at
best, minor characters and sex
objects. We never know how they
think or feel, at least inwardly, for
isn't it possible that they may be
playing games just as Jonathan does
with Susan?