I can remember when this movie was released back in 1969. I was only 12 at the time but I kept hearing about this controversial film that was released that people were shocked by. I wasn’t old enough to see it but even MAD magazine did parodied the movie. So naturally when I got older and had a chance to see the movie I was anxious to learn what the controversy was all about. That came when the movie made its way to video. I watched it unimpressed and wondering what the controversy was all about.
Now here we are almost 50 years later and the movie makes
its way to a new blu-ray edition via Twilight Time. Remembering what I thought
of the film years before I decided to try it again and see if I had missed something
back then or if it truly was one of those groundbreaking films to come out of
the sixties. The end result was that I did see it through different eyes but it
didn’t make the film that much better.
Ted Sanders (Robert Culp) is a documentary film makers who
goes to an Esalen-type retreat with his wife Carol (Natalie Wood) thinking that
perhaps there is a film to be made about the place. If you’re unfamiliar with
Esalen it was one of those counter-culture pop psychology type groups where
people would try to get in touch with their inner feelings. At a 24 hour
session Bob and Carol open up to the group and to one another and find a peace
in their ability to be completely honest with everyone.
They return home and later go to dinner with their friends
Ted (Elliott Gould) and Alice (Dyan Cannon), a conservative couple they’re best
friends with. They can’t talk enough about how wonderful the experience was and
when Ted doubts them they try to get him to open up. The thing is every time he
says something they don’t agree with they call it a cop out until he laments
and tells them what they want to here at which point they praise him. Their
“enlightenment” goes so far that Carol tries to open up with their waiter
making Alice uncomfortable. We’re supposed to see Alice as the one with the
hang ups but for me she becomes the sanest member of the group.
Ted goes to San Francisco for work and while there has a one
night stand. When he returns home he tells Carol about it. Surprised at first
she then praises him for being open and honest with her. Which surprises Ted
who then seems disappointed that she wasn’t upset of jealous. For all his
bluster about what he supposedly learned at his core Ted is still that “square”
inside.
After a dinner party the four smoke grass and act silly
before Ted and Alice begin to leave. Running out to tell them how much she
loves them Carol breaks the news to them about Ted’s affair still thinking how
wonderful it was. On their way home Alice can’t control her anger about the situation
and gets physically ill. When they get home she can’t stop talking about it as
they go to bed. This leads to the funniest and most frustrating parts of the
film as Ted wants to fool around but Alice is in no mood. Frustrated he wants
to go for a walk but while uninterested in sex she doesn’t want him to leave
their bed.
A second trip to San Francisco for Bob finds him turn down
another one night stand to return home early. Except that he finds another man
in his bed. Unlike his wife he gets upset and rages at first before she calms
him down and they once more talk about feelings and how this is nothing more
than sex with no love or attachment involved. Which leads to another funny
moment.
All of this culminates with the couples dealing with their
own issues, a visit to the psychiatrist by Alice, another quick affair and the
four of them heading off for a weekend trip to Vegas to see Tony Bennett. The
end result of their trip is more revelations and a potential foursome between
them all, a final breakdown of acceptance for the “enlightened” to initiate the
squares.
The movie can be confusing at times. Is it an endorsement of
the results of the sexual revolution of the sixties or an indictment? Is it
supporting it or condemning it? The sexual revolution opened doors for people
to talk but like Pandora’s box it also unleashed a flood of bad things as well.
STDs reached epidemic proportions, marriage took a nose dive and divorces
increased. The traditional family was torn apart and the anything goes attitude
was embraced. In its wake the rubble was sifted through and some things
recovered. Other not quite so as we’ve seen the addiction and availability of
pornography increase and the family structure still not quite recovered.
While watching the film I kept thinking about the characters
and the location their story takes place in. Both are affluent couples who
because of their wealth and status can afford to take the time for things like
this retreat as opposed to hard working blue collar workers who don’t have the
time or inclination to do so. For those couples life is working and having the
nice home and 2.5 kids, happy to do so. It is the bored upper class that always
seems to find a need to explore things out of their boredom.
People jokingly refer to California as the “land of flakes
and nuts” which seems a bit harsh. But you have to admit that the state does
tend to welcome the most over the top life styles and concepts. This is in
large part due to the film industry itself providing wealth that leads to
boredom for so many in the public’s eye. My guess is you don’t hear much about
crew workers on films doing these sort of things because they’re the folks
based in reality making far less money but working equally hard. California
gets its reputation based on what we’re told by news and mass media with
stories about celebrities, hangers on and scammers promising enlightenment if
you just come to a retreat where you can scream away your pain for $99.99 per
day.
The film here is well made and looks great. The actors do an
amazing job with Cannon standing out as someone who wants to stick with her
beliefs and ideas but who is basically bullied into following the lead of the
rest. It isn’t a bullying involving insults or fists but one of if you’re not
enlightened like us then you must be the one who is wrong.
This was the first feature film director Paul Mazursky made
and it provided enough interest for him to build a career on. His films were
always character driven and interesting well-made movies. For me this one
wasn’t among the best. It definitely feels dated. Some may remember it fondly,
for me it was just there.
I will say that Twilight Time has once more done a great job
with this one. We’re offered the film in blu-ray with a hi-def 1080p presentation.
And they’ve included plenty of extras to enjoy including an isolated music
track, an audio commentary track with film historians Julie Kirgo and Nick
Redman, an audio commentary track with Mazursky, Culp, Gould and Cannon and
TALES OF BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE a featurette with Mazursky being
interviewed. This release is, as with all Twilight Time releases, limited to
just 3,000 copies so fans should act quickly if they want one.
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