HENRY AND JUNE (1990) A Film Review by Ted Prigge Copyright 1997 Ted Prigge
Director: Philip Kaufman Writers: Philip and Rose Kaufman (based on the diaries of Anais Nin) Starring: Maria de Medeiros, Fred Ward, Uma Thurman, Richard E. Grant, Kevin Spacey
I've never read the literature of either Henry Miller or Anais Nin, but after watching this film, I wouldn't mind it. Judging from this film, their works seem like they'd be highly sexual, and very liberating. As a film, it is both of these, and incredibly hypnotic and unbelievably surreal. Yes, it has its flaws, but its direction makes up for all of that.
Starting off with the hypnotic and affecting beginning to Stravinsky's "Rite of the Spring," we get to see the world from the eyes of neither Henry or June, but rather someone who knew them both intimately, writer Anais Nin (as in "The Diary of..."), who is played by the round-faced Maria de Medeiros (who would go on to play Fabienne in "Pulp Fiction"). In the beginning, she discusses her discovery of sex thorugh literature and pictures, then is kissed by her therapist. Thus begins a surreal-as-hell film that is not only highly sexually arousing and liberating, but also the first film to ever be rated NC-17.
Anias (pronounced An-ay-iss) lives in France with her banker husband, Hugo (Richard E. Grant, equipped with a fake American accent, which makes him sound robotic and like he's been dubbed as if he's in some porn movie), who is kind of boring (I think "exciting banker" is an oxymoron), but nevertheless loves his wife, and is working his butt off so she can write. One day, he brings home two writers to see Anais, since she's written an essay in defense of D.H. Lawrence (one of the first writers to write about sex): -- (a younger Kevin Spacey), a bizarre kinda guy who's very horny, and is constantly bitching about his ideas and works being ripped off by others; and Henry Miller (Fred Ward), who was one of the primary writers of the 20th century, famous for his book "Tropic of Cancer," which he writes during the tenure of the film.
Anais is fascinated by Henry (who pronounces her name "An-iss" throughout the film), and soon begins hanging out with him. Henry is incredibly promiscuous, viewing sex as a part of life, so who cares who he sleeps with? He's obsessed with a woman who just happens to be his wife - June (a young Uma Thurman) - who's picture, which in front of his desk, features her doing a kind of Malcolm MacDowell "Clockwork Orange" look which sends shivers down anyone's spine, and is one of the most arousing things I've seen (no, she's not naked in it).
Anais, who's sex life is near boring (Hugo occasioanally works up the strength to boink her), starts a free relationship with Henry, who sexually liberates her, and she also finds herself attracted totally to June, all the while being attracted to Henry also. She often compares herself to both of them at different times, but seems to be the enzyme to fuel their anger towards eachother. Thus begins a melodramatic little subplot between the three of them (who never end up in a menage a trois, sorry guys).
The story, which was based on Anais Nin's diaries, is true, but is told in one hell of a surrealistic fashion. Characters wander in an out of the storyline, sometimes showing up for no real reason (example: Kevin Spacey, who shows up to complain here and there, but doesn't have any real necessity to the plot). And Anais's relationship with her husband is never really explained in full. He starts off boring, then catches up with her, then disappears till the final scene.
There are scenes which are so bizarre that they're creepy (examples: a dream sequence where Anais dreams of having sex with June, but then feels her, um, penis; and a trip to a brothel where Anais and Hugo pay to watch two girls do it, which is shot through a mirror). And there are several truly disturbing shots, as well as a lot of sex. And not just sex, but there's a lot of sex talk and eroticism throughout the film.
The direction is the best part of the film. Phillip Kauffman (who also directed "The Unbearable Lightness of Being") makes every scene filled with the perfect amount of atmosphere needed, and makes the sex in the film actually erotic. The cinematography is gorgeously done (it was nominated for an Oscar), and the film maintains that surrealistic approach throughout. It's one of the most truly hypnotic films I've ever seen.
The acting is not great, but is nevertheless very good. Maria de Medeiros does a fantastic job creating the complex Anais, showing that kind of frailty that makes her likable and interesting. Uma Thurman has a very small part (although quite major to the story and characters), but creates one of the truly sexy characters I've ever seen. And she's never even naked in the film (although I saw the side of one of her breasts). Her look, her voice (which is deep and with a Brooklyn accent), and her just overall grace is one of the most erotic things I've ever seen. Kevin Spacey, although having a very small part, is quite the little scene stealer, making his bizarre part comical and welcome whenever he shows up and for whatever reason.
Fred Ward, however, steals the film with his flamboyant performance as Henry. He grunts most of his words, kind of like a brute, but possesses a lot of depth in his performance, nailing a lot of the complexity that is Henry Miller. I read that Alex Baldwin was supposed to play Henry. Well, Alec's a good actor and all, but he's not right for this role. Ward is wonderful in the role, and it sure seems like it was his only truly great role. So far.
So, anyway, does this film deserve the NC-17 rating, or was it just a bit of promtion to get people to actually see a lavishly produced piece of arty porn? Well, yes, it's damn near porn, but no, it's not excessive like porn - more like tasteful and actually erotic porn. Whether or not it good have slipped in at an R rating is questionable though. I mean, it's telling the story of Henry Miller, for Christ's sake. Anyone who knows anything about "Tropic of Cancer" has to know that it's a book about sexual liberation. There's not a ton of sex in it, and when it is, it's not excessive (although there's a couple lesbo scenes), but just for what it's presenting...well, I guess it needed an NC-17 rating. Yes, content wise, it couldn't have, but it just seems right that way.
Yes, it has its problems, like any film that dares to talk about sex in such a frank manner, but it's a truly hypnotic film which resonates eroticism, which is what it was trying to do. So while it didn't do a lot for the NC-17 rating and commerciability thereof, it certainly achieves what the actual film was trying to do. Well, in my book, it did.
MY RATING (out of 4): ***1/2
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