The first in a trilogy of films by Paul Morrissey produced by Andy Warhol, "Flesh" is a bare and stark portrait of day to day life in the modern big city. Joe is a hustler who's struggling to get by. With a wife and an infant to feed he resorts to prostitution to make ends meet. With New York as the urban jungle that serves as the backdrop to the sordid and sleazy proceedings the film is all about lead star Joe Dallesandro and his relationship with the camera. With his chiseled, Adonis-like figure and all-American good looks punctuated by Latin sex appeal Dallesandro shines from every angle. Warhol acolytes Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling make fascinating cameos and Patti D'Arbanville is a cutie. The documentary-like style and raw acting are not for everyone but the truthfulness of the result gives the film a realistic resonance that traditional filmmaking in its artificialities rarely convey. The nudity and homo-sapphic eroticism will turn-off many but add to the authenticism. It's also neat to see 1960s Manhattan captured for posterity. While slow going in parts and the film could have been shorter this is a pleasant surprise in its viewability and importance as art and history. If you're a fan of Warhol, The Velvet Underground and the 1960s New York art scene this is a must see.
Review of Flesh
