In sixties Hollywood, a revolution spun,
As studios crumbled, and codes were undone.
The Sexual Revolution, a moment in time,
Caught an industry in transition's rhyme.
Paul Mazursky's lens captured the shift,
In Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, a film to lift.
A nuanced exploration of love and desire,
As monogamy's boundaries began to retire.
Esalen Institute's influence, a New Age creed,
Gestalt therapy, and honesty in need.
The film's opening act, a documentary-style scene,
Set the tone for a narrative of emotional sheen.
The Sanders' embracing non-monogamy's call,
Led to conflicts, and comedic falls.
Their friends Ted and Alice, initially shocked and cold,
Gradually warmed up to the idea, young and bold.
Mazursky structured these transgressions with care,
Comedic yet cringe-inducing, with dialogue to share.
Natalie Wood shone as Carol, charming and bright,
Elliott Gould's deadpan delivery, a perfect foil in sight.
The film balanced drama and comedy with ease,
Avoiding raunchiness, with restrained physicality to please.
Modern viewers may find it tame, compared to today,
But its themes of liberation, still resonate in some way.
The ending criticized, for its sentimental tone,
A slow-motion procession, that felt like a cop-out alone.
The film critiques hypocrisy, yet stops short of more,
Reflecting cultural ambivalence, forever in store.
Though hailed as Mazursky's finest work at the time,
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice aged rapidly in its prime.
A snapshot of upper-middle-class anxieties past,
A reminder that Hollywood's attempts to codify cultural shifts will forever last.
(Note: The review in its original form can be read here.)
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