Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #66766 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-08-23
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Synopsis
This adaptation of Ionesco's absurdist classic was part of the American Film Theater series, conceived in the 1970s by producer Ely Landau and meant to be shown theatrically just like a play, with tickets sold in advance. Gene Wilder stars as Stanley, a depressive young man who abhors virtually all of humanity with the exception of his neighbor John (Mostel, in a bravura performance) and a beautiful young coworker named Daisy. Morosely cultivating his nonconformity, Stanley is disturbed at first when the inhabitants of his town begin turning into human rhinos, explained initially as rhinoceritis by local pundits. However, when just about everyone in town begins falling prey to the disease except for himself, Stanley wonders whether something else may be responsible for the phenomenon.

Customer Reviews

"Rhinoceros!"
I had to check after viewing, but this film is surprisingly close to the original text. There've been a few liberties in translation, of course, and a few cut lines, but ultimately it's Ionesco's play, performed by the dream comedy double act of Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel.

The biggest change is the insertion of a dream sequence halfway through the last scene, presumably to emphasise for the American audience that it's a symbolic play, and that Ionesco wrote some weird stuff, didn't he? It's well devised and well played, though, with a melancholic song that seems odd but also kind of appropriate. It's a nice way to break up what would otherwise be a long and difficult scene. The supporting cast are all fantastic, with the exception of "Mrs Bingham" (Mme Boeuf in the French), who's just a bit too hammy. Lovely direction throughout, with some of Ionesco's trademark devices well captured (e.g. the echoed dialogue in the first scene).

Points against: There are a number of ways of interpreting "Rhinoceros", and this film doesn't seem to settle on any one of them (I think in the end the political reading starts to win out). Also, it's fair that the crew had problems filming with an actual rhinoceros, so we never see one, but an effort could have been made to show "John" (aka Jean, played by Mostel) transforming into one. As it is, the transformation scene rests on Mostel's remarkable acting talent, and I think he carries it off. Wilder, as "Stanley" (Berenger), is just perfect.

What you have to remember is that this is a 1970s US comedy film, it looks and feels like a 1970s US comedy film, and yet it's still absolutely Eugene Ionesco's play. This DVD includes some interview material that sheds light on the making of the film, trailers for other films in this series, and a wealth of articles and photos.

A benchmark performance
"Rhinoceros" belongs to the 'Theater of the Absurd' movement, which was fashionable during the 1950s and 60s. Eugene Ionescu, the author, was one of the key proponents of this kind of play and, it has to be said, is not to everybody's liking. To my mind, if an absurdist play is to succeed, it has to be done by a fine ensemble of actors. This film of the play has such a cast. For the main roles,the producer Ely Landauer and director Tom O'Horgan managed to get together again Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, who made such a hit in Mel Brook's "The Producers". Wilder has the largest part in the film and he is extremely good, but the movie really belongs to Zero Mostel whose performance is unforgetable: surely a benchmark performance ?