Director: Mike Nichols
Screenplay: Jules Feiffer
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Candice Bergen, Art Garfunkel (as Arthur Garfunkel), Ann-Margret, Rita Moreno, Cynthia O’Neal, Carol Kane
Country: United States
Running Time: 98 min
Year: 1971
BBFC Certificate: 18
How do you follow the critical success of a trio of films like 1966’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the 1967 American classic The Graduate, and 1970’s Catch-22? If you’re their director Mike Nichols, for your fourth film, you direct an incredibly well acted, controversial and very talky masterpiece called Carnal Knowledge, which ran into censorship trouble for obscenity and broke boundaries with its use of swear words.
Carnal Knowledge follows Jonathan (Jack Nicholson) and Sandy (Art Garfunkel) over 14 years as we witness their romantic relationships, and learn about their views on sex and women, and the way men communicate with the opposite sex across three time periods. That’s essentially the narrative in a nutshell but only scratches the surface of a truly remarkable piece of cinema.
It’s a film full of interesting characters, and a jigsaw puzzle of visual and audio clues, motifs and metaphors that tell us about the feelings and motivations of the characters. We’re witnessing the friendship of Jonathan and Sandy and their relationships with several women, and that’s it, yet we learn so much more about them as people, and about men and women in general. I was enthralled throughout, not wanting to take my eyes off the screen as the narrative takes us through highlights from three periods of their lives, each section split by the screen going white. So, it’s essentially your usual three-act movie, the three acts depicting different time periods (1946, 1961 and 1970).
Jonathan is seemingly confident with women as he searches for the perfect partner, whilst Sandy comes across as less confident, looking to women for direction on how he should interact with the fairer sex. Early in the film we see how Jonathan and Sandy separately interact with Susan; these are two very different interactions, both utterly mesmerising and eye-opening in giving a sense of all three characters.
The script, originally written as a play, by Jules Feiffer is perfect, with some very memorable lines, very real dialogue and a fantastic structure that takes us through pivotal relationship moments in the lead duo’s lives, as well as revealing a lot about their thoughts on sex, love and women from relatively lengthy chats between the pair.
The cinematography by Italian cinematographer Guiseppe Rotunno, who worked with legendary Italian directors Federico Fellini, Vittorio De Sica and Luchino Visconti amongst others, and his choice of shots is one of the best elements of the film, from the opening as Susan (Candice Bergen) walks to the screen from the dark, the camera then panning round as she walks into the bright lights of a party, to Jonathan and Sandy lying in separate beds in the same room, talking, lit by the street and building lights outside.
Other standout imagery includes the use of weather, like snow, to denote the passing of time, an ice skater alone against a completely white backdrop, and a remarkable series of imagery where both Jonathan and Susan are feeling cold and emotional during a phone call as their relationship fizzles out, both wearing symbolically cold blue.
Jack Nicholson is outstanding, as he so often is, and you can’t take your eyes off him. He commands the screen and the viewer’s attention with every interaction with other characters, and even more so when he’s not interacting. We get a sense of what his character is thinking deep down and of his motivations just from his look and facial movements, and how he showers after every intimate moment. He’s my favourite actor and yet I found him almost unbearable in this due to his views – but that’s a compliment, as his character is deeply unpleasant at times and is brought to the screen through a fabulous performance by Nicholson.
Singer Garfunkel, in the second of his two performances for Nichols following his screen debut in Catch-22, is a phenomenon, with a truly human and natural performance that rightly scored him a nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Globe Awards (Ben Johnson won for his role as Sam the Lion in The Last Picture Show). I’ve seen Candice Bergen in several films recently, including 1970’s Soldier Blue, and am always impressed. Carnal Knowledge has solidified my view of her as an actress. She’s great as Susan, who initially seems to come between Jonathan and Sandy, before the latter marries her. Her relationship with both characters is a major narrative thrust in the early scenes of the film. She almost upstages Nicholson and Garfunkel with a wonderful performance. There isn’t a bad performance in the film, with other standouts including Ann-Margret’s tragic Bobbie; just check out her wordless scene at a tennis match, and bedroom conversations with Nicholson’s Jonathan.
A book by Robert Sellers called 1971: 100 films from cinema’s greatest year highlights, as the title states, what a phenomenal year 1971 was at the movies. So many classics came out that year including A Clockwork Orange, The French Connection, Dirty Harry, Straw Dogs, The Last Picture Show, The Devils, Harold and Maude, Get Carter, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Klute, and Shaft. This list is just a snapshot of the phenomenal works released during the year. Add to that Carnal Knowledge. It’s a landmark work by the great director Mike Nichols, featuring a relatively early and excellent performances by Nicholson, Garfunkel and the rest of the cast. The film features excellent dialogue, perfect performances and is a joy to piece together thanks to the use of metaphor and visual symbolism which is presented in a way that doesn’t spoon feed the narrative to the audience and is at times quite dreamlike.
It’s a challenging film that was controversial for its frankness about sex, mostly discussions which featured some swear words that had not been heard on the big screen before, though there are some intimate scenes and nudity. A print was initially seized at a movie theatre in Georgia for being obscene, sparking court proceedings that ended when the charge of obscenity was overruled by the U.S. Supreme Court, and was also initially banned in Italy for being obscene. Thankfully its bans didn’t last long and we’re able to soak up this remarkable film that is, in my mind, a masterpiece and true classic of the New Hollywood era.
Film: 
Carnal Knowledge is released on separate limited edition 4K and Blu-ray editions by Powerhouse Films on their Indicator label on 23rd June 2025. I reviewed the world premiere 4K edition (the Blu-ray is a UK premiere). The 4K presentation is very pleasing indeed with a natural colour scheme and balance, plenty of fine detail throughout, and just the right amount of grain. It looks very, very good . It also sounds great. So, in short, it’s a very pleasing presentation.
Indicator limited edition 4K UHD special features
Definitive 4K HDR restoration
4K (2160p) UHD presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Original mono audio
Audio commentary with writer and film scholar Justin Bozung (2025)
Mike Nichols and Jason Reitman in Conversation (2011, 36 mins): archival video recording of the two filmmakers on stage at the Walter Reade Theater in New York, following a screening of Carnal Knowledge
Cruel Masters (2025, 13 mins): actor, comedian and filmmaker Richard Ayoade provides an in-depth appreciation of the film and its director
Jules Feiffer on midlife crises (1979, 52 mins): archival audio recording in which the celebrated cartoonist, screenwriter and playwright talks with broadcaster Studs Terkel about the themes of male behaviour in his work, with a focus on his 1979 ‘cartoon novel’ Tantrum
Jules Feiffer on relationships (1990, 46 mins): archival audio recording in which Feiffer speaks with Terkel about the themes of sexual difference in his 1990 play Elliot Loves, which was directed for the stage by Mike Nichols, and about his career as a cartoonist and satirist
Munro (1960, 9 mins): new 4K restoration of the Oscar-winning animated short film about a four-year-old who is accidentally drafted into the US Army, adapted by Feiffer from one of his short stories
Original theatrical trailers
Radio spots
Image gallery: promotional and publicity material
New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Limited edition exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Brad Stevens, an archival interview with director Mike Nichols, writer Jules Feiffer and actor Jack Nicholson, a contemporary location report originally published in American Cinematographer, an account of the controversies surrounding the film’s original release, a reprint of a 1972 Sight and Sound article on the film and its place within Nichols’ oeuvre, and full film credits
World premiere on 4K UHD and UK premiere on Blu-ray
Limited edition of 8,000 individually numbered units (5,000 4K UHDs and 3,000 Blu-rays) for the UK
Film scholar Justin Bozung’s commentary is enthusiastic and informative, providing a wealth of background to the film and its key players, both in front of and behind the camera, as well as some scene-specific observations. Bozung points out the sequences he enjoys in the film, and the metaphors and symbolism throughout the movie, as well as the use of colour schemes and shots and how these support the narrative and give visual clues to the audience. It’s a strong commentary.
The 36-minute conversation with Nichols and director Jason Reitman dates from 20111 following a screening of the film in New York. There’s plenty to glean from the interview including Nichols’ first thoughts on reading the script, the controversy, whether the film could be made in modern times, the numerous shower scenes for Nicholson and the mirror reflection of the two main characters. It’s an entertaining and insightful interview.
Cruel Masters is another fantastic extra, this time a 13-minute appraisal by actor, writer and director Richard Ayoade who describes Carnal Knowledge as almost like an escalating series of “brilliant” standalone scenes. There are some great comments about the performances of Nicholson and Garfunkel, and how the misogynist aspects of the characters speak to today as much as the time it was made. I really enjoyed this interview.
The two audio interviews with screenwriter Jules Feiffer (one on midlife crises and another on relationships) total 97 minutes and cover plenty of ground about his career as a cartoonist, screenwriter and playwright, including a look at his 1979 ‘cartoon novel’ Tantrum, and a focus on his 1990 play Elliot Loves, which was directed for the stage by Mike Nichols. They are two fantastic archival interviews which includes readings of the writer’s works.
The theatrical trailer runs for two-and-a-half minutes and gives a decent overview of the film, as well as including snippets from contemporary reviews.
The teaser trailer runs for one minute and the two radio spots total 90 seconds, and play as a graphic of a record spinning appears on the screen.
The image gallery contains almost 100 promotional and behind the scenes images, a mixture of black and white and colour, including lobby cards, elements from a signed script and posters.
The UK press pack gallery contains almost 30 images of the press pack that was handed out to those in attendance at the UK premiere of the film at the Odeon Marble Arch on 3rd September 1971. It contains stills, biographies of key cast and crew members and a menu for a celebratory luncheon at the Churchill Hotel in honour of actress Ann-Margret, which took place immediately following the screening.
Munro (1961) is a nine-minute cartoon by written by Carnal Knowledge’s screenwriter Jules Feiffer, adapted from one of his short stories, which follows a four-year-old character called Munro who accidentally gets drafted into the US army. It’s a funny, strikingly drawn and inked, surreal and charming anti-war satirical short which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Its inclusion is incredibly welcome.
The 80-page page book is typically excellent from Indicator, combining new and archival material and is beautifully put together. It opens with a new piece by Brad Stevens, who opens his essay with his recollections of the first time he saw Carnal Knowledge on VHS in the early 1980s, before moving on to its meaning and themes, the actors and why it’s such an important film. Next we have an article from 1971 containing interviews with Nichols, Feiffer and Nicholson. It’s an entertaining contemporaneous piece, which concludes with a tease of a film that Stanley Kubrick would sadly never make, Napoleon, which Nicholson was lined up to star in. The pair would work together on the director’s movie of Stephen King’s novel The Shining, released in 1980.
The book continues with extracts from another 1971 article, an American Cinematographer on-location piece by Herb A Lightman, featuring interviews with cinematographer Rotunno and production designer Richard Sylbert. It includes interesting insights into the visuals and look and feel of the film. Up next we have a look at the controversy of the film, which is fascinating and includes a remarkable letter printed in the New York Times. Also included in this excellent section of the booklet is a feminist reading of the film printed in the same day’s edition of the newspaper and written by artist, novelist, playwright, screenwriter and former professional wrestler Rosalyn Drexler, a rebuttal letter to that piece, a look at the controversies around the release of the film in Amityville, Long Island, and aforementioned controversies and obscenity charges levelled following a raid on a cinema in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sticking with the book, next we have a marvellous 1972 Sight and Sound article by John Lindsay Brown, which looks at Nichols’ first four films, which concluded with Carnal Knowledge. The book concludes with a brief look at Munro which packs a lot of information about the animated short into two insightful pages. It’s possible the best book Indicator have produced, and that’s saying something.
In closing, Indicator have provided a fabulous package of new and archival extras, together with an indispensable 80-page book, for a remarkable classic, which was originally released at the start of arguably the best decade in cinema history, the 1970s. Picture and sound are first class for a masterpiece, given an excellent limited edition treatment, which I give my warmest recommendation.
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