When I went to my local library to check out DVDs, this one caught my eye because of the two stars pictured on it with their names prominently displayed: Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. Anyone who's watched Mel Brooks' The Producers knows who they are and what a great team they made. So I included it among four others and brought it home with me. I must say while the movie itself is a little uneven (that scene in Wilder's accounting office with his coworkers was a little too frantic for my tastes), whenever Gene and Zero are on screen together they're nothing short of hilarious especially when Mostel does his transformation. Karen Black is also on hand as Wilder's love interest providing a sweet and sexy presence to the proceedings. In adapting Eugene Ionesco's play to the big screen, director Tom O'Horgan does a nice transition from farce to serious drama in the last 30 minutes that made me think about how conformity can be enjoyable if stifling after a while vs. how individuality can be liberating if lonesome because of not-as-many takers. Of course, anyone expecting a conventional slapstick comedy would probably be disappointed with the whole thing but despite some unevenness, I highly enjoyed and recommend Rhinoceros.

The absurdist nature of the film doesn't hide the basic premise of the story - conformity to a herd mentality is to be resisted at all times if one is determined to remain an individual. The rampage of the rhinoceros(es)/rhinocerii(??) may serve to distract the disengaged viewer, but if you're paying attention, you'll get it pretty clearly. Even Stanley (Gene Wilder), seemingly immune to rhinocerization, in a way falls victim to his own brand of conformity - getting drunk on weekends to escape the fact that he 'can't get used to life'.My question would be - where did Zero Mostel get the energy to pull off that rhinoceros transformation? That was a pretty challenging and inspired piece of work. Can you just picture him over at the Bronx Zoo rhino pit evaluating the huge animal's every movement and idiosyncrasy? They were all incorporated into that magnificent characterization that had to go on for a significant portion of the story. It seemed that even Wilder was entranced by the performance.As for Karen Black, I wonder whose idea it was for her to wear that front slit skirt to distract the audience? Herd mentality at work, right? It worked on me, along with those long, leggy shots in every imaginable contorted position. It's too bad she became a rhinoceros too, she had such promise.I had never heard of this movie before until spying the title on one of the cable channels today. The story description hooked me right off, leading me to schedule my day so I could catch it. I guess that could be a submission of sorts as well, but it was worth it to catch the principals in their prime in the sort of inspired lunacy that was considered their trademark.

I loved this film. I was trying to find it to buy it, just for the scene between Wilder and Mostel, priceless. I laughed so hard mostly because of how brilliant Mostel was at portraying his transformation. I told my children about this film and they wanted to see it. I recall reading once that Wilder himself, didn't like the film but I don't have his perspective. The tension between Mostel and Wilder in that particular transformation scene is palpable, Wilder's reactions, Mostel's intensity, I laugh at just recalling this scene. I don't recall much else about the film except this particular scene. I highly recommend this film to all Wilder and Mostel fans.

OK, this is one weird film that I caught very late one night, I only decided to see it because it had Gene Wilder in it, who is one of the funniest men in history. I was totally surprised by how bizarre it was. The plot is about Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder talking and all these people turn into (unseen) rhinoceros'. Later on the story goes from zany comedy to mild horror as our 'heroes' try to stop themselves from turning into rhinoceros'...If you're in a good mood you could find some enjoyment out of this, but if you like your films straightforward then avoid this like the plague.