Barbara

It's the Year of the Cock, 1969, an opening title card proclaims. Set on Fire Island, New York, free love reigns in BARBARA, as couples disrobe, fornicate, and talk about sex incessantly. This is an early semi-pornographic film shot in a documentary style that is intended to illustrate and explain the sexual revolution and youth rebellion ideologies of the era.

BARBARA attempts to navigate the complexities of coming of age, societal critique, and the pursuit of sexual expression through a myriad of partnerships. A motley crew of young people gathers around Max (Jack Rader), an older island inhabitant who positions himself as a kind of guru of sexual liberation, advocating for a lifestyle of unrestricted sexual encounters as a path to freedom.

The weak narrative weaves through the superficial relationships between Max, his shallow girlfriend Barbara, and a visiting couple, Leslie and Tom, serving primarily as a backdrop for the actors' unabashed nudity and combination of simulated and unsimulated sex. The dialogue, seemingly improvised, is laden with the era's counter-culture clichés, exploring themes of sexual liberation, the intertwining of sex and spirituality, and even touching upon anti-Vietnam War sentiments, all under the guise of expanding the characters' emotional and physical experiences.

Influenced by the French New Wave of the Sixties, BARBARA is stylistically ambitious, employing grainy black-and-white cinematography and occasional inter-titles to convey characters' thoughts or narrative progression, though its artistic endeavors often obscure the on-screen action. The film also draws from the "roughies" genre prevalent in adult cinemas of the 1960s, incorporating elements of non-consensual sex and a suggestion of bestiality.

Released in theaters in August 1970, BARBARA stands among the pioneering films of its time that ventured into the realm of explicit sexual content, alongside early adult films like MONA THE VIRGIN NYMPH and ANDY WARHOL'S BLUE MOVIE. Director Walter Burns sought to advance the cinematic portrayal of sexuality, amalgamating various contemporary themes in an attempt to resonate with the intended audience. However, the film's effort to align with the progressive attitudes of its time ultimately falls short, rendering it pretentious and more superficial than insightful.

This film follows a group of navel gazing, new age types as they enjoy a vacation on island off the coast of New York. For those thinking that this might be some fun exploration of hippie culture (Psych Out), offer up a psychotronic on new age ideas (Simon, King of the Witches), or some bizarre imagery (An American Hippie in Israel) I suggest you look elsewhere as this film lacks all of those aspects. It has more in common with cheapo 60s sexploitation flicks (specifically the roughies) than any notable bit of hippiesplotation. Instead we're treated to half-baked diatribes about showcasing how these people are enlightened enough to look down on everyone else while also lacking even the iota of self-awareness required to see that they are just the same. Their psueod-intellectual ramblings are on par with insipid drivel spouted during Animal House's pot smoking scene; offering nothing of substance other than perhaps a snapshot view of what a bunch of privileged boomers thought a hard life looked liked. Beyond that we're treated to a lot of sex scenes that are very much of that era and almost always lacking in consent from one or more participants and the film disgustingly presents the end result of these encounters as satisfactory for everyone involved. I guess this film is notable for featuring several scenes of man on man action, including several that much more roughie esque. Which I can't say I've seen a ton of so there's that I guess. Normally I'd end my review with an attempt at suggesting this for some audience, no matter how niche, but I hate this one too much to attempt to justify anyone seeing it. I'm going to disagree with Stephen Thrower on this one, we're better off with some films being lost.

A group of spoiled self-centered morons spend their time having sex with each other and molesting anyone that they happen to stumble across on fire island... but apparently that's okay, because everyone seems to enjoy it. Except for the two straight fishermen that are forced to "69" at knife-point. It's political in all of the worst ways from that time period (or any time period for that matter). They complain about censorship, Vietnam, the establishment and, well, basically anything that tries to force them to do anything that they don't want to do. However, that's not the worst of it. This movie also manages to commit the greatest crime that a movie can... it's boring. Not even the sex and nudity can prevent this from being a complete waste of time.

A bunch of kids decides to have some sexual reflection in Fire island that causes them to find a little bit more than they expected. They set off towards a ride that they ultimately decided off.

This is an exploitation-art film that never really finds its footing. Its too lose and sort of just lost in what it was trying to do. It was clearly made for as a cheapie lurid 'sex' films BUT wants to sell it also as art, which does not work that way.

The filmmaker definitely has inspiration, especially of the French New wave but those works because it knows its aim. Here, the script is just too weak. The direction was aimless for the most part. The acting ungodly amateurish, which will came to no shock that most of the cast has mostly had done few or no films afterwards.

I mean might be harsh given the material BUT I have seen films on this particular level to at least worked at least a theme and style.

Not recommended.