Rhinoceros (1974)

Director:

Tom O'Horgan

Writers:

Eugène Ionesco (play)
Julian Barry (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 January 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

The comedy that proves people are still the funniest animals.

Plot:

Originally an absurdist play by Eugene Ionesco, Rhinoceros tells the story of a French town plagued by rhinoceroses...

Plot Keywords:

Foreign Language Adaptation | Conformity | Theatre Of The Absurd | Independent Film | Based On Play

Cast

Zero Mostel	...	John
Gene Wilder	...	Stanley
Karen Black	...	Daisy
Joe Silver	...	Norman
Robert Weil	...	Carl
Marilyn Chris	...	Mrs. Bingham
Percy Rodrigues	...	Mr. Nicholson
Robert Fields	...	Young Man, Logician
Melody Santangello	...	Young Woman (as Melody Santangelo)
Don Calfa	...	Waiter
Lou Cutell	...	Cashier
Howard Morton	...	Doctor
Manuel Aviles	...	Busboy
Anne Ramsey	...	Woman with Cat
Lorna Thayer	...	Restaurant Owner

Also Known As:

Eugene Ionesco's Rhinoceros (Australia) (DVD box title) (USA) (poster title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA | UK | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

The Ely Landau Organization Inc.

Trivia:

The Broadway production of "Rhinoceros" by Eugène Ionesco and translated by Derek Prouse opened at the Longacre Theater in New York on January 9, 1961 and ran for 240 performances.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Ear of the Heart: The Music of Galt MacDermot (2009)

Soundtrack:

What Did You Do To Yourself

Very Strange, but has it's Moments

Much maligned film is really not as bad as it's reputation states. Yes the scenes and scenarios are at times awkward and stilted. The sets and color schemes run from being drab to horribly garish. The music and is loud and obnoxious and doesn't fit the mood of the film at all. Also despite having the name in it's title and being all about rhinos you never actually see one. Sure it's low budget, but even some stock footage of one from "Wild Kingdom" would have helped.

Yet even with all this the film still has it's moments. It's based on the Eugene Ianesco play and involves everyone getting turned into a rhinoceros. Mostel, Wilder, and Black all resist, but slowly unravel to the 'peer pressure' and wanting to be 'part of the crowd'. The outrageous premise is simply a front to examine the human phenomenon known as conformity, both on those that do and those that don't. It is rare that anything tackles this subject with any seriousness study, yet this one does. The observations are, believe or not, quite interesting and accurate. Besides Wilder really does make a terrific non-conformist.

The best part though, may actually be one of filmdom's most bizarre scenes ever. It features Wilder and Mostel alone in a room, where Mostel slowly turns into a rhino. The scene goes on for well over twenty five minutes and features no special effects or makeup. It relies totally on Mostel and his acting range to pull it off. He gives it an amazing amount of energy and seems more than up to it's weird demands. Definitely worth a look for this scene alone.