The Cavalier daily :: Thursday, December 10, 1970 :: University of Virginia Library

You waited to read the book!
Suppressed for 22 Years! And now,
at last, any one over seventeen can
see this shocking and scandalous
movie!!! All right, baby! Another
"X" movie in town. Ha! Another
so-called skin flick that isn't what
you're expecting. What else but
Henry Miller's "Tropic Of Cancer".

I say surprising for I wasn't
expecting a light comedy. Or am I
wrong in assuming that this is a
comedy? I doubt it, for Joseph
Strick and Betty Botley's script is
genuinely funny and Rip Torn's
impersonation of Miller is
outrageous.

Rip Torn and Ellen Burstyn in "Tropic of Cancer"

Updated

The story originally took place
in the Paris of the pre-World War II,
but has been updated to the present
day. I think it would have been
funnier as a period piece, but I
suppose the budget wouldn't allow
such extravagances. Our hero,
autobiographically named, Miller, is
a writer, down and out and looking
for work, any type of work. This
gives us a great segment where Rip
Torn teaches little French urchins
about the physiology of love. Like
the Biology Department's films on
reproduction, the class becomes
quite popular.

'Super-Stud'

Miller lays virtually every
woman in the film. According to a
friend who saw the film in New
York, these are by far the best
scenes. Unfortunately, the version
shown here has been considerably
cut and splices to ribbons. This is
all so ridiculous. The motion
picture industry established the
rating code to satisfy old women
who thought movies were
corrupting America. So, here we've
got the "X" yet the Puritans in
state boards still decide cuts must
be made. The film's tone is by no
means pornographic. If the director
wanted to use bush shots, why the
hell can't they be left in?

Despite this, the entire cast is
excellent. I've already mentioned
Torn's performance. His eyeing and
ogles are too funny for words. It's
quite possible that he is a good
actor, who (violins, please) "hasn't
found that perfect part." James
Callahan as the erratic Fillmore is
also very good and steals a few
scenes. All of the young lovelies are
also adept actresses, but I found the
performance of Magali Noel as the
Princess with clap most interesting.

Another Rip-off

"Tropic of Cancer" could have,
or might be, a cut above most of
the trashy adaptations of literary
classics. The version here simply
leaves one wondering just how
funny those cut scenes really are.
Poor Mr. Torn, coming apart again
in another rip-off movie.

(Now at the Cinema)