Obscene (2007)

Documentary on Barney Rosset's public and personal battles as owner of Grove Press and publisher of the Evergreen Review journal. The documentary demonstrates how Rosset sadly has become a footnote to many of the situations he was associated with instead of being as famous as the situations themselves. The first half of the documentary uncovers remarkable information about Rosset’s acquaintances in school and adventures in China via the US army. This later led to marriage, divorce and a chance to own what would become Groove Press. The film continues to present the reasons why Rosset began selling daring and important literature. Literature that would put him at odds with the law and become instrumental in expanding the notion of freedom of expression in media and defending first amendment rights. At this point the strength of the documentary stalls as the process of Rosset defending everything he puts out is mixed with office turmoil and personal politics. This could have been omitted to streamline and clarify Rosset’s struggle against the then, conservative social dispositions encased in the law. Although true, it diffuses any type of emotional return until the final 10 minutes, where an older, but not necessarily wiser Rosset reappears and sits down to talk until the credits.