Henry & June [DVD] [1990] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC]

After reading the reviews I was prepared to drift into slumberland but was held for two hours plus even though fatigued and a low threshold for falling asleep. It helped knowing about Anais, Henry, June, Hugh and the other characters.

The films is shot in a form of art sumptuousness that even on the smallest TV this this stood up tall and erect.

Anais is a female architect of the bohemian femme fatale template along with Lou Salome.. Prior to thes templates women were divided into ladies, mothers and whores. Anais and Lou were the first to write about their experiences whirling around the creators of an era.

Anais was vandalised in her childhood by her father and married into security growing up in a penniless artistic background. Hugh was the rock from which she built her later experimentation on. On her wedding night she did not know how to initiate penetrative sex. Hugh was the product of the thrashings and bullying of a Scottish public school and was also frigid. Together he and Anais rolled around rubbing against each other. The back ground to the film.

This catches her discovering sex as a frission rather than being raped as a kid or locked into coldness with Hugh. Together they learn the secrets of sex as Anais conducts a series of affairs to find herself. She adopts the personality of June to find a template for her personal liberation. She then begins to colonise the people around her as she becomes close to them. In turn they also colonise her as Miller uses her D H Lawrence work for himself.

As the film unfolds Anais plays on the pipes of pan and becomes fully lubricated. What it misses apart from the opening moments is her seduction of two therapists and vice versa they seduce her. Also missing is her later revenge against her father an incestual 9 day tryst. Afterwards she wrote it up in her journal and it was published posthumously- the ultimate revenge destroyed his reputation and built hers.

This is a beautiful film, it's not a porn film- that can easily be conjured on google, this is a sensual film exploring sexual emotions. Worth the effort if it is put into context. Anais also tried to liberate herself from her past by using sex to recreate the site of her sexual abuse. When this is understood the film has meaning.

I have read many of Henry Miller books and loved most of them. For this reason I was a bit sceptic about the movie. But if you love Miller, and even if you don't you must check this video !its very strong, sensual and emotional. Its the story of Henry Miller in Paris falling in love with 'fellow' writer Anais Nin, who also falls in love with Miller's wife...Its a story of how important it is for human beings to free their own sexuality but also a story of how it is possible to love two people at the same time, wether you believe this or not. Uma Thurman is excellent in the part of Millers wife. The movie is worth every penny you pay for it. ENJOY !

Beautiful, passionate, mesmerizing and so evocative - i want to live in 1920s Paris! Don't listen to the bad reviews - they know nothing of great film making. If you're a writer you'll adore this film. Uma thurman is amazing in it! Her best screen appearance in my opinion.