Carnal Knowledge

Carnal Knowledge is a 1971 American drama film directed by Mike Nichols and written by Jules Feiffer. It stars Jack Nicholson, Art Garfunkel, Ann-Margret, Candice Bergen, and Rita Moreno. Plot In the late 1940s, Amherst College student Sandy meets a coed named Susan at an on-campus event and they begin dating. Although they enjoy each other's company, Susan is reluctant to enter into a physical relationship. Unbeknownst to Sandy, she is also pursued by Sandy's aggressive, womanizing roommate Jonathan, and they eventually have sex. Jonathan tries to persuade Susan not to have sex with Sandy, but after some delays, Susan does sleep with him. Because of this, Susan and Jonathan break up. Several years after college, Sandy is married to Susan, while Jonathan still searches for his "perfect woman." Jonathan begins a relationship with Bobbie, a beautiful but shallow woman, but he eventually grows bored with her. Bobbie leaves her job at Jonathan's suggestion. She then becomes depressed, spending long hours doing nothing but sleeping in the apartment she shares with Jonathan. The relationship deteriorates. Jonathan berates Bobbie for not cleaning up the apartment while he is out working all day at a nine-to-five job. He claims that he does not understand why breakups always have to end with "poison." Sandy's relationship with Susan is faring no better. Sandy is dissatisfied and bored with the physical part of their relationship, even though he and Susan "do all the right things." He relates how they are "patient with each other" and concludes with a statement that perhaps sex is not "meant to be enjoyable with the person you love."