Barney Rosset was one of the most obscure influential Americans of the 20th century. As the founder of Grove Press and Evergreen Review, Rosset was responsible for helping to break down censorship barriers when famous courtroom challenges over the publication of contemporary classics such as D.H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover, Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, and William Burroughs' Naked Lunch—as well as distribution of the 1967 Swedish film I Am Curious (Yellow)—led to legal redefinitions of obscenity. First-time filmmakers Neil Ortenberg and Daniel O'Connor's Obscene offers an invigorating portrait of Rosset's indefatigable spirit and shrewd business sense. Whether openly challenging post-World War II racism with his 1948 film Strange Victory or disrupting Eisenhower-era complacency with the publication of books by Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, provocateur Rosset consistently pushed the boundaries of artistic expression. Needless to say, not everyone admired his efforts (Rosset made many enemies for bringing the published works of Che Guevara and Malcolm X to bookstores). Combining a wealth of rare archival footage from the years Rosset successfully fought many courtroom battles, together with trenchant observations from admirers including Erica Jong and John Waters (Rosset himself appears in a 1989 interview with Screw magazine's Al Goldstein), Obscene is also backed by a wonderfully diverse soundtrack featuring artists ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to The Doors. DVD extras include extended interview footage. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
Obscene
(2008) 90 min. DVD: $29.95. Arts Alliance America (avail. from most distributors). Volume 24, Issue 3
Obscene
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