Pink Narcissus is a film that is really a different experience than your normal movie habit. When I watched the film, it just was not like any kind of film I had watched. It was very primitive and very confusing yet it is also oddly fascinating and funny. So primarily, it is a film telling the life of a gay drifter and what goes in to his horny head. He envision himself as a Sultan, a mighty Matador and a lot other gay penchants as he tries to fulfill himself to completion. Only to face the gaudy realities of his life in the end. All of which presented in a colorful low-budget yet sophisticated vision,without any single dialogue to make a definite sense. Indeed, the film was feral. It is leaves a lot of things for its viewer to digest and I kinda enthralled by it. Usually I have reservation to this kind of films as they tend to over do it artsy side that they came off as a bit of a bore and overthought but its own quirks just works so well. The colorful D.I.Y. kitsch styling to its literal take on gay iconography and jargon were so witty and inventive that it really leave in me awe. Overall, Pink Narcissus is a art film spectacle that is not afraid to show a distinct flavor without losing its ambition.[5/5]

Mind-blowing colour and rampant symbolism are splattered across the screen in James Bidgood's one-of-a-kind "Pink Narcissus." At a casual glance this milestone film can appear as little more than a series of beautiful, erotic and obscure imagery. But it is much more than that. Model Bobby Kendall portrays a male prostitute, trapped in a surreal hell; an environment that is artificial, manufactured and unnatural. The city outside of his door is even more devoid of nature, or life, with it's zombie-like creatures stumbling around, looking to either buy, or sell sexual favors. The pretty hustler retreats into a surreal, candy-colored fantasy world, where his customers become beautiful storybook heroes; Arabian Sheiks, matadors, Roman Emperors and their slaves. The hustler, being the ultimate narcissist, uses his own idea of beauty when imagining what these characters look like: himself. Kendall is featured in most parts, as slave & master, prince & peasant, etc. His imaginings are realized on-screen in blazing, fantastic color, accompanied by an eclectic and haunting array of music. As each fantasy set piece plays out, a familiar image returns repeatedly; scenes in nature, trees and flowers and living creatures, drenched in sunlight, soaked in rain, an environment that is the polar opposite of the concrete & neon hellhole in which this beautiful man seems to be imprisoned. His fantasies of nature, which are the most beautiful and truly erotic sections of the film, suggest a desire to return to something natural and real, in other words a return to innocence. A scene where Kendall's character is literally penetrating the Earth, by lying on the ground and sticking his penis into the soil, is symbolism that is not that hard to understand. And the dark, apocalyptic climax, where the same ground swallows him into it's underground depths in an inferno of driving rain and thunder, and he finds himself.. back in his pink and gold apartment, as a new customer lets himself inside to be serviced. Does the apartment represent some kind of hell? The great thing about this film is that it raises questions like that, and forces it's audience to think, and to wonder. When a film can accomplish that, it transcends entertainment, and becomes art. "Pink Narcissus" is a film that needs repeated viewings to get the full picture. After being dazzled by it's jaw-dropping imagery the first time around, one can settle into the world, and the mindset of this man whose own physical beauty has alienated him from reality. With a bit of an imagination you will not need LSD to relate to him...

There's no telling just how much tampering was done to this film to get to the extant version we see today.It's obvious the film was not thrown together, for there are numerous artistic single and composite shots which pepper the work. It's just too bad the final product seems to lack focus, balance, and point of view. Technically it's also a mixed bag: some close ups are clear and impressive, while many long range and medium shots are blurry and diffuse.True, it is rather like Disney meeting Genet, yet even in free association there is some sort of cohesiveness--that which is lacking here. Redundancy seems to rule, as the camera lingers on images which have long made their point, and musical selections on the soundtrack tend to get stuck in their dull grooves. One is reminded of the kind of endurance stamina needed to fathom some of Warhol's flamboyant creations.So, opinions will obviously vary on this one--whose historical legend far surpasses its actual content. Intiguing as a "resurrected underground opus" may be, the value of "Pink Narcissus" will depend on individual taste. Since it's rarely shown today, buffs who are able to track it down may consider themselves fortunate.

Possibly the most artistic movie I have ever seen. Beautiful Bobby Kendall (where is this guy now??) in a series of self-indulgent fantasies. The 'narcissus' theme carries to the end. And who could blame the guy? An arousing, provoking short film full of sexual, and more importantly, sensual scenes. Not quite hard-core gay, but right up there. Better. Filled with elements which porn lacks - beauty, art and eroticism. The viewer is treated to plenty of teasing shots, where things are actually left to the imagination. Colorful, magical, erotic. Recommended to anyone who wants to view a hot gay film which also asks things of you artistically.