Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
In 1972, a seemingly typical shoestring budget pornographic film was made in a Florida hotel: "Deep Throat," starring Linda Lovelace. This film would surpass the wildest expectation of everyone involved to become one of the most successful independent films of all time. It caught the public imagination which met the spirit of the times, even as the self-appointed guardians of public morality struggled to suppress it, and created, for a brief moment, a possible future where sexuality in film had a bold artistic potential. This film covers the story of the making of this controversial film, its stunning success, its hysterical opposition along with its dark side of mob influence and allegations of the on set mistreatment of the film's star.
Inside Deep Throat is a competent documentary that covers fascinating cultural territory—the intersection of pornography, the sexual revolution, censorship battles, and mob involvement—with reasonable breadth. The narrative is engaging and the subject matter inherently compelling, though the film doesn't push documentary craft into exceptional territory. Talking-head interviews are serviceable but unremarkable, and the cinematography follows standard documentary conventions. Its novelty lies more in its subject's cultural significance than in any distinctive filmmaking approach. The ending feels somewhat inconclusive, trailing off rather than delivering a satisfying synthesis of the complex story it sets out to tell.