Wolff rating: NOT BAD
Plot summary: Cowboy heads to the city to find his fortune as a male prostitute.
Biased, pithy comments: The sexual revolution was a long time ago. Likewise, the shock value of this film is pretty low in the new millenium; it's like seeing a French postcard from the turn of the last century. Sure, it's got strong sexual overtones, but so does ``Sex in the City'' or ``Basic Instinct.'' I'm sure it got under the skins of conservatives fighting the fight against free love, but at this point implying sexual contact between two men or hinting at child abuse is...well...passe. There is a lot going on in this film---good cinematography, some good character work by both Voigt and Hoffman---but it doesn't rise above the level of good, and you have to balance that with your expectations. Frankly, the movie is so bleak, the characters such fools, and the city so harsh that I had trouble convincing myself to finish it. It is bleakness for the sake of bleakness without beauty. Your mileage may vary, especially in relation to how old you were when it was released.
Other Notes: Movies like this are like Elvis---not untalented, but one must be careful to separate the effect they had on society from their actual content. Compare this to the ageless appeal of Cool Hand Luke or Casablanca, and you'll see what I mean.
How many times I have seen it: x1
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles.
Directed by: John Schlesinger