Pink Narcissus

Star Review

Seldom seen outside the festival circuit, this release of Pink Narcissus should serve to re-awaken interest in photographer James Bidgood's erotic odyssey. The plot, or lack thereof, is narratively simplistic but thematically provocative, as the film languidly explores the fantasies of a doe-eyed teen hustler reposing in his cramped bedroom.
Shot on 8mm with exquisitely detailed sets painstakingly constructed in Bidgood's New York apartment, Pink Narcissus is gloriously kitsch and undeniably camp, but this is no softcore curio; with its vivid visual imagination, this is a musical tapestry from a time when erotic male nudity could be celebrated without recourse to pornography.
Seven years in the making, Pink Narcissus was then wrested from Bidgood's hands, and an unauthorised edit released anonymously in 1971, sparking widespread speculation that this mysterious film was directed by Andy Warhol. As Bidgood indignantly noted, that was impossible: “Pink Narcissus doesn't look anything like Warhol. First of all, he would never put that much effort into anything.” Milo Wakelin

Milo Wakelin on 12th March 2007

View all 43 of Milo Wakelin’s reviews

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Film Description

The campest cult classic of all, digitally remastered from the most complete print available. A breathtaking and outrageous erotic poem, Pink Narcissus is set in the kitsch, colour-saturated fantasies of a beautiful young male prostitute. A classic of underground/gay cinema, reminiscent of the work of Lindsay Kemp and Kenneth Anger.

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This is that singular rarity, a piece of gay erotica which is neither grossly explicit nor frustratingly dull. `Pink Narcissus´ is a gloriously sexy and imaginative no... more >

This is that singular rarity, a piece of gay erotica which is neither grossly explicit nor frustratingly dull. `Pink Narcissus´ is a gloriously sexy and imaginative non-narrative. A technicolour wet-dream in fact. Enjoy.

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Ooh! Ooh! The moon is blue. Well not exactly - it's pink. As this homoerotic fantasy from 1971 bares out. Made when censorship was stricter, it may seem old fashioned.... more >

Ooh! Ooh! The moon is blue. Well not exactly - it's pink. As this homoerotic fantasy from 1971 bares out. Made when censorship was stricter, it may seem old fashioned. The photography and main actor are beautiful. Filmed in a drea-like quality of soft focus. It is a film to hire, enjoy or hate. Not every one's cup of tea. < less

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DVD Extras

• Rare interview with Director James Bidgood
• Illustrated colour booklet.

Film Details

Cast

Don Brooks, Bobby Kendall

Technical Details