Flesh (1968)

Director:

Paul Morrissey

Writer:

Paul Morrissey (writer)

Release Date:

27 May 1970 (West Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Lesbian Scene | Nudity | Male Full Frontal Nudity | Lesbian Mother | Gay Parent

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Joe Dallesandro	...	Joe, the Hustler
Geraldine Smith	...	Geri, Joe's Wife
Patti D'Arbanville	...	Patti, Geri's Lover
Candy Darling	...	Candy, a Transvestite
Jackie Curtis	...	Jackie, a Transvestite
John Christian	...	Joe's Customer
Maurice Braddell	...	The Artist
Geri Miller	...	Terry
Louis Waldon	...	David, the Gymnast

Also Known As:

Andy Warhol's Flesh

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:XXX (Nova Scotia) (video rating) | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-16 | Norway:18 (cut) | Sweden:15 | UK:(Banned) (1970) | UK:18 | UK:X (1971) | Canada:18+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Factory Films (I)

Trivia:

UK censor John Trevelyan was wary of issuing the film a cinema certificate and suggested to the distributors that the film be shown on a club basis. When it was initially shown at the Open Space Theatre in London in February 1970 the cinema was raided by police who attempted to seize the film, leading Trevelyan himself to hastily rush to the cinema and vigorously defend the movie against possible prosecution, calling the police action 'unjustified and preposterous'. In the light of this incident Trevelyan was able to grant the film an uncut 'X' certificate.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): During a scene with the go-go dancer, Candy and Jackie alternately call her by the character's first name (Terry) and that of the actress playing her (Geri Miller).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Warhol's Cinema 1963-1968: Mirror for the Sixties (1989) (TV)

The lost art of joe dallesando

It seems inhumane to describe someone as a work of art but in the Warhol

Art Sphere there seems little other way to describe Joe Dallesandro in

"Flesh". His body is displayed constantly in the nude, more consistently

naked than any other actor I can think of in American film history.

Warhol/Morrissey (the authorship of the movie remains contentious though

Morrisey is the credited director, the film rides under the "Andy

Warhol's" banner) objectify and expose every part of Dallesandro's

hustler in the film. He was truly the first sex symbol of the 70s. It

was only in "Flesh" he was so un-self-conscious and innocent though

always with survivalist and self-serving cunning. Joe (the character) is

an interesting kafka-esque (unable to control the world around oneself,

prone to the ebb and flow of circumstance and external control) figure

in the midst of a collage of underground culture figures of the 60s from

drag artistes to quivering tricks. Its a high camp affair at times but

Morrissey has a loving camera when it comes to Joe. Joe's beauty is

vividly captured and the fly-on-the-wall style story of a day in his

life remains engaging a