Plot: What’s it about?
During the purchase of my first DVD player, I tried to think of an ideal title to start off my collection. Thinking back to the many Criterion titles I never got on laserdisc, one stuck out after countless times of watching it pan and scan for so many years. It told the story of two college roommates, twenty years, and their challenge with the kind of women they would go for and how they apply themselves to women. These two men compete to bed the “right” woman and seek Carnal Knowledge.
Jonathan (Jack Nicholson) and Sandy (Art Garfunkel) are obsessed with finding the woman of their dreams in wide array of description. While Sandy goes for the simple single approach, Jonathan is always looking for the better deal no matter how many women he has to go through. While Sandy is learning something new every time with his new girlfriend (Candice Bergen), Jonathan is having his time with a girl as well. Little does Sandy know Jonathan is using his womanizing ways on his girl.
As in the recent “Closer”, Mike Nichols is no stranger to the scripted subject matter of the frank discussion about sexual fantasies between four individuals and being more effective with words instead of visuals and it all started with this film. In this case he opted for capturing a character piece in Panavision and he does well in using the camera framing the characters both in a wide sense and in some cases a first person sense as well.
It also captures the two men in three phases of their lives with their sexual needs and acting upon them but realizing that their needs share consequences knowing that their satisfaction might never be achieved and what lengths they will go to get them.
Jack Nicholson plays Jonathan as a womanizer that knows a lot, talks a lot and does a lot but no matter what he does when it comes to sex, he cannot be totally satisfied with staying with one person. Art Garfunkel is his friend that goes along with his advice but with his one love realizes the consequences of not sampling others. Candice Bergen plays Susan as a girl who looks clean cut but deep down knows a little more and puts herself in a pickle once she encounters Jonathan. Ann Margaret is Bobbie, the vixen that was once was but now has become a stay at home nothing thanks to Jonathan. All four are exceptionally superb and drive this piece from one instance to another.
Granted, the movie isn’t a feel good affair and certainly one for the grownups but it has an honesty in the writing thanks to Jules Feiffer, who’s script is biting, raw and mesmerizing that can turn off many and intrigue a great many more.
It does go into a few surprising directions and with the writing, acting and it’s connection with the four main principals, Carnal Knowledge is worth every bit of time in the look, feel and execution.
Video: How does it look?
Carnal Knowledge is given the 2.35:1 anamorphic treatment and the results are very good to say the least. There are not many specks on the print but there is a bit of the period’s age on the film that not only distinguishes the time it was done but also gives a sense of some muted colors and nothing too flashy or loud. Each period is used with most of the blacks in the first part, a brighter end in the second part and a dimness in the third and final period but through it all, the print has the occasional bit of grain but nothing lingering. MGM has done a decent job with a good result. The flipside of the disc has the substandard full frame version of the film proof positive that the widescreen version of the film makes a big difference.
Audio: How does it sound?
The track for Carnal Knowledge is in Digital Mono and the music and dialogue can be heard through all with the majority of the audible activity coming from the center channels. The film is more dialogue driven and there are no great advancements in digital sound but there are no cracks or pops in the sound and everything comes out clearly and can be heard without going to an extreme volume. It’s a decent track. This disc also has English and French Language subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
Surprisingly, there are no extras on this disc.
