Reviews

This is a film that grabs you by the short hairs and makes you sit up and take notice. No matter where you personally come down on the issue of drug abuse; it gives you plenty to ponder. An interesting thing about this film to me is that you can enjoy from the standpoint of just watching it for fun, or you can watch it from the standpoint of someone watching it to grapple with philosophical issues. True, the protagonists in this flick are a motley crew, but even in the depths of despair and degradation hope comes through. Albeit often in morose ways. Sick Boy's agony over the babies death for example shows even the most craven usurious junkie has a basic element of human decency. The heroin scam, while an angst filled undertaking, is an act of hope on their part that can be likened to the hope of degenerate gamblers trying for that big win. The musical score is a superb fit for the movie, too. It is a drug movie and quite arguably the best one ever made at that.

if you were a reader of National Lampoon's column "O.C. & Stiggs" which ran for a while back around the late 70's/early 80's then you will probably like it a lot. It has a lot of fine talent in it, but if you're not in on the joke, then it probably isn't for you.

The biggest problem being how could the film match up to R. Crumb's comic books? Like a lot of comic characters, i.e. Warren Beatty's portrayal of Dick Tracy, Fritz just didn't translate well to film. Perhaps if Bakshi had stuck more faithfully to the book, it would have come off better.

As I said, I recommend this movie to everyone that ever get into discussions about movies about. I first saw it back in high school on an independent TV station and never heard of it again until I read Paul Theroux's book "The Happy Islands of Oceania". In his book he talked about how it had a cult following, but had been kept out of circulation for years due to some sort of legal entanglements. Whether this is true or not, I was very pleased to see it become available recently on video. I've rented it about 4 times since then to show to friends.

Roeg's cinematography is stunning. The contrasting juxtapositions of stone age food procurement and industrialized food procurement are one of the best points made in the movie. My favorite part of this movie is the screen wipes Roeg uses while the little boy is telling the Abo a story as they walk along - stunning symbology! The Aborigine hunting techniques are fascinating, too.

Unfortunately, I was only able to see the Czech version one time. But it made a lasting impression on me and I've been looking for it ever since but just can't seem to get my hands on it. It's elusive, but well worth searching out. I thought I had it once at a rental store, only to find out it was the 1943 Nazi version and it just didn't capture the surrealism that the 1961 Czech version did. When Terry Gilliam's version came out in 1988, it disappointed in comparison as well.

So, if you liked the 1988 remake, you owe it to yourself to see the Czech version - if you can get your hands on it!