Cinema Au Naturel: A History of Nudist Film

Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: Dr. P. Rapoport's review of this book is excellent. I agree this really is an amazing work and is well worth picking up for someone who is interested in clothing-free expression. I have found it truly invaluable in helping to organize a local film festival with others about naked freedom. I would like to give a review from the viewpoint of a non-naturist/nudist who is active in clothing-free advocacy on public lands.

Mark Storey is, without a doubt, the most qualified person to take on this project. He discusses nudist/naturist film and video within the context of naturism and nudism, and he goes beyond. He brings up many of the important issues and addresses them extremely well. The book is quite comprehensive and well-researched. For these reasons, this will be a tough act to follow. I finished the book feeling fully satisfied with such a comprehensive work.

There are significant works though which may exist outside of the nudist/naturist context which deserve serious discussion, perhaps in the broader context of clothing-free expression. Also, I would like to see that future editions include a DVD with excerpts from significant works.

I would take issue with his choice of "top-twenty" nudist films. I would agree that all of those listed are historically significant in the history of the development of nudism/naturism, but in the general context of clothing-free expression in film there is more out there of significance, and some of the latter might be much better suited for introduction to clothing-free freedom for one who is looking for something inspiring. The distinction should be made, perhaps there should be two lists.

My own recommendations for those looking for films that have significance in clothing-free expression that are not included in this book would include (and these can be found at http://www.bodyfreedom.org/guide/film.html): Naked States, by Arlene Donnelly Nelson; Naked World (released after this book), by Arlene Donnelly Nelson; Being Human, by Lisa Seidenberg; Burning Man Festival, by Joe Winston; among others out there.

Bottom line, get the book and also check out the videos above! Happy reading and viewing! :)

Rating:
Summary: Not just another book about film
Review: This book fills a big gap by engagingly bringing together much fascinating material. Readers will probably find it absorbing indeed, even if they have an interest in only part of the subject.

Of course, it helps to be curious about nudity. Is there someone who isn't? (Okay, no one has to admit it.)

Throughout Cinema au Naturel, Storey offers pointed but polite observations on films, nudity, sex, censorship, American socio-cultural history, and much more. He encapsulates the history of nudist films mostly within the exploitation genre (which may not mean what it seems) and expands definitions and connections to make it all fit seamlessly together. Along the way are welcome discussions of the MPAA and the infamous Hays Production Code from the 1930s, the history and theory of nudism in America and elsewhere, and the people behind nudist books and films, like authors and producers Jan Gay, Doris Wishman, Craven Walker, and Edin Velez.

Supplementing all this are illustrations. These are no grainy video stills -- but posters, covers, and other art of considerable historical value. Later in the book are recent color photos of nudists in various settings being as normal as can be. At the end is a selection of the "top 20" nudist films. And Storey indicates where to find this material.

Because most readers will be unfamiliar with them, much of the book describes what goes on in and behind many nudist films, from the early examples close to the turn of the 20th century, to a few only recently released. With a sharp eye and even sharper mind, Storey analyzes as he goes, never obtrusively but always lucidly, often with doses of quiet humor.

He doesn't shy away from controversy, whether over a film such as Peter's Day in the Sun, or over numerous governmental edicts to Rescue the Declining Morals of America. One state board censored references to pregnancy in a film, claiming that "the movies are patronized by thousands of children who believe that babies are brought by the stork, and it would be criminal to undeceive them."

That was 80 years ago. What has changed in body-phobic, hide-and-peek, protection-by-repression America? This book is a subtle exploration of that question among others.

For many, it's admittedly hard to distinguish nudity from sex, exploitation from information, and nudist films from porn. Over the course of this thoroughly researched and finely written book, those challenging complexities become life-affirming as they reflect, interact, and change. Far from a book only about film, Cinema au Naturel is that rare item, a splendid sorting out of a whole lot of things that matter.