Mike Nichols can be described as one of the best 21st century directors with titles under his belt like Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf? (1966), The Graduate (1967), Working Girl (1988), Charlie Wilson’s War (2007), and Carnal Knowledge (1971), so when one of his movies gets a coveted spot in the Criterion Collection and it’s one that hasn’t been seen previously, it immediately jumps to the top of my watch list. With a cast that simply turns heads, there is something desirable and chaotically imperfect about Carnal Knowledge — and what better label and distributor to bring the 4K treatment to this 55-year-old movie than Criterion.
L-R: Art Garfunkel as Sandy and Jack Nicholson as Jonathan in CARNAL KNOWLEDGE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Before we dive into the movie, the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all, I want to focus on the transfer and execution of this restoration. This is the first time the movie has been offered in the Criterion Collection, so it’s not just a Blu-ray being upgraded by Criterion, it’s a whole new transfer being done from scratch — and the 4K is magnificent. It keeps the grain intact without losing the aesthetic it creates; it feels lived in and truly like a movie made in its time period with its ultra futuristic look at what 20 years later would look like. It is an exceptional looking transfer, and misses on no fronts.
L-R: Jack Nicholson as Jonathan and Candice Bergen as Susan in CARNAL KNOWLEDGE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Atop Criterion bringing Carnal Knowledge to 4K for the very first time (and a new remastered Blu-ray, as well), there are three brand new features, some legacy features, and a new essay by Moira Weigel accompanied by a 1971 piece from American Cinematographer about the look of the movie. The three new features are an audio commentary from filmmaker and playwright, Neil LaBute (The Wicker Man; House of Darkness); a new program with Mike Nichols biographer Mark Harris and film critic Dana Stevens, which is quite informative and interesting; and, lastly, a new interview with film-editing historian Bobbie O’Steen which is best seen after watching the movie. The legacy features are a 2011 conversation between Nichols and Jason Reitman (Juno; Up in the Air) and a Q&A with screenwriter Jules Feiffer (Popeye), as well as a radio spot and the trailer. Overall, Criterion presents the feature film on its own separate 4K disc with Dolby Vision HDR which allows it to shine and not compromise on presentation quality due to space, and the Blu-ray holds the film and the special features.
Ann-Margret as Bobbie in CARNAL KNOWLEDGE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Carnal Knowledge starts off with Jonathan (Jack Nicholson) and Sandy (Art Garfunkel) talking about their respective drives, sexual and aspirational, and women. They both want “morally” right woman who will show them the world and things they don’t know, but one is much more crass about his desires. Things start to shift when Susan (Candice Bergen) walks by both Jonathan and Sandy as Jonathan tells Sandy that he can have her, despite her not knowing either of them. Moreover, Sandy is completely oblivious on how to even entertain a woman like Susan. It is clear that neither Jonathan nor Sandy knows how to talk to a woman, let alone someone as unobtainable as Susan, but it never stops their drive to try and make it work. They go through life rather aimlessly, having failed marriages and making mistakes along the way. Their desires do not match with their lives which eventually leads to a boiling point for Jonathan, a performance which helps validate Nicholson as one of the greatest actors of his generation. While the movie is certainly problematic in its themes and ideology, no one is painted as a “good” person which helps paint our protagonists as anti-heroes in a sense, and makes the audience not cheer for anyone, but not virtually be against anyone either.
L-R: Art Garfunkel as Sandy and Candice Bergen as Susan in CARNAL KNOWLEDGE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Carnal Knowledge is a visceral take on toxic masculinity that is masterfully executed by its exceptional cast and the brilliant Mike Nichols directing. With this gorgeous 4K restoration done by Criterion as a digital restoration vs a 35 mm scan with an uncompressed monaural soundtrack, Carnal Knowledge has most likely never looked better. This seething look into toxic masculinity from one of the best directors of the 21st century is a must watch.
Carnal Knowledge Special Features
- *NEW* audio commentary featuring filmmaker and playwright Neil LaBute
- *NEW* program with Mike Nichols biographer Mark Harris and film critic Dana Stevens
- *NEW* interview with film-editing historian Bobbie O’Steen
- Conversation from 2011 between Nichols and filmmaker Jason Reitman
- Q&A with screenwriter Jules Feiffer
- Radio spot and trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- An essay by scholar Moira Weigel and a 1971 piece from American Cinematographer about the look of the film
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray July 22nd, 2025.
For more information, head to the official The Criterion Collection Carnal Knowledge webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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