I became interested in seeing Behind the Green Door after seeing Marilyn Chambers in David Cronenberg's Rabid. She had a charisma and sex appeal that stayed with me long after the movie ended. Having finally gotten a chance to see it, I ultimately found it disappointing.
Simply put, I did not find the film erotic. As an adult film, its ultimate goal is to create arousal, and this is the first criterion on which it should be judged. The action takes place largely in silence, with the participants in its central orgy forbidden from speaking. Chambers has no actual dialogue other than sighing and moaning. This prevents the viewer from engaging with the characters.
The film does deserve kudos for trying to establish a narrative, however limited. It is also noteworthy as a time capsule of a period when pornography was on the cusp of mainstream acceptance. It features cameo appearances by football star Ben Davidson and by local San Francisco celebrity Toad Attel. (Imagine a major celebrity like Davidson appearing in an adult film today!) It gives a glimpse of an era of sexual freedom that was sadly lost with the AIDS crisis and the incursions of the religious right.
Simply put, I did not find the film erotic. As an adult film, its ultimate goal is to create arousal, and this is the first criterion on which it should be judged. The action takes place largely in silence, with the participants in its central orgy forbidden from speaking. Chambers has no actual dialogue other than sighing and moaning. This prevents the viewer from engaging with the characters.
The film does deserve kudos for trying to establish a narrative, however limited. It is also noteworthy as a time capsule of a period when pornography was on the cusp of mainstream acceptance. It features cameo appearances by football star Ben Davidson and by local San Francisco celebrity Toad Attel. (Imagine a major celebrity like Davidson appearing in an adult film today!) It gives a glimpse of an era of sexual freedom that was sadly lost with the AIDS crisis and the incursions of the religious right.