Zoo
3/4
Not Rated (contains discussion of bestiality, a brief and obscured image of the act and the gelding of the horse...it's a probable R, although I wouldn't put it past the MPAA to dish out an NC-17)
I remember reading about the story of Kenneth Pinyan, also known as Mr. Hands, who died of internal injuries after having anal intercourse with a horse. The story was bizarre to me, just like it was to most others who read it. And yet, it aroused my curiosity. Due to the results, it was obvious that Pinyan was on the receiving end (or a "bottom," as it's called). But why? Why did he do this? Up until this case, bestiality was legal in Washington state, but should it be? Can an animal give consent to sex, or is this question irrelevant? The documentary "Zoo" asks these questions while giving us an idea of the people who do this sort of thing.
Through the internet, a group of people who have sexual interests in animals found each other. Eventually, they agreed to meet up in Washington state for a weekend. Although the names have been changed to protect their anonymity (real actors portray them in the onscreen recreations), the men include H, The Happy Horsemen, and Coyote (who allowed himself to be shown onscreen, but remains nameless). These are normal people; one is a trucker, another an EMT and Pinyan was an engineer for Boeing. The film tells what happened before and after the death of Pinyan.
The best thing about this movie is its honesty. Director Robinson Devor doesn't judge. He simply asks questions (inaudiably) and gets answers. If Devor has any opinion about what happened, you won't know it from watching this movie. He gives voice to those on both sides of the issue and lets the audience make their own judgments. There are those who think it's wrong, and those who take a "live and let live" attitude (including, surprisingly, Rush Limbaugh).
According to the people involved, they have sex with animals because they feel they have a special connection with them. Animals don't judge, they listen and there's no interpersonal bull to worry about. And yet one has to worry about the implications of having sex with an animal. Does having sex with an animal constitute rape because the animal isn't able to make the decision to have sex? Or, because it isn't human, does it not matter? Is it animal cruelty?
Devor has made a beautiful film. It's quietly powerful and fascinating. The movie is driven by curiosity, and he asks the same questions we would ask. He doesn't vilify or treat the people involved as freaks or weirdos. He lets them explain themselves, and he uses actors to act out what happened. Devon doesn't sensationalize or exploit. The video of the sex act is brief and extremely obscured. In this scene, he concentrates on the reactions of the people watching it instead.
The film is brief; it does what it needs to do and that's it. Devon does however give in to self-indulgence a few times; some scenes are bizarre and don't make much sense, and there's one scene involving an actor who talks about watching a child who drowned die that really has nothing to do with the film.
Still, for those who are curious, this movie is worth seeing.
Not Rated (contains discussion of bestiality, a brief and obscured image of the act and the gelding of the horse...it's a probable R, although I wouldn't put it past the MPAA to dish out an NC-17)
I remember reading about the story of Kenneth Pinyan, also known as Mr. Hands, who died of internal injuries after having anal intercourse with a horse. The story was bizarre to me, just like it was to most others who read it. And yet, it aroused my curiosity. Due to the results, it was obvious that Pinyan was on the receiving end (or a "bottom," as it's called). But why? Why did he do this? Up until this case, bestiality was legal in Washington state, but should it be? Can an animal give consent to sex, or is this question irrelevant? The documentary "Zoo" asks these questions while giving us an idea of the people who do this sort of thing.
Through the internet, a group of people who have sexual interests in animals found each other. Eventually, they agreed to meet up in Washington state for a weekend. Although the names have been changed to protect their anonymity (real actors portray them in the onscreen recreations), the men include H, The Happy Horsemen, and Coyote (who allowed himself to be shown onscreen, but remains nameless). These are normal people; one is a trucker, another an EMT and Pinyan was an engineer for Boeing. The film tells what happened before and after the death of Pinyan.
The best thing about this movie is its honesty. Director Robinson Devor doesn't judge. He simply asks questions (inaudiably) and gets answers. If Devor has any opinion about what happened, you won't know it from watching this movie. He gives voice to those on both sides of the issue and lets the audience make their own judgments. There are those who think it's wrong, and those who take a "live and let live" attitude (including, surprisingly, Rush Limbaugh).
According to the people involved, they have sex with animals because they feel they have a special connection with them. Animals don't judge, they listen and there's no interpersonal bull to worry about. And yet one has to worry about the implications of having sex with an animal. Does having sex with an animal constitute rape because the animal isn't able to make the decision to have sex? Or, because it isn't human, does it not matter? Is it animal cruelty?
Devor has made a beautiful film. It's quietly powerful and fascinating. The movie is driven by curiosity, and he asks the same questions we would ask. He doesn't vilify or treat the people involved as freaks or weirdos. He lets them explain themselves, and he uses actors to act out what happened. Devon doesn't sensationalize or exploit. The video of the sex act is brief and extremely obscured. In this scene, he concentrates on the reactions of the people watching it instead.
The film is brief; it does what it needs to do and that's it. Devon does however give in to self-indulgence a few times; some scenes are bizarre and don't make much sense, and there's one scene involving an actor who talks about watching a child who drowned die that really has nothing to do with the film.
Still, for those who are curious, this movie is worth seeing.
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