User Reviews

This aptly titled film is pretty much what you get for the short running time (about 45 minutes,or so). Avant/Garde photographer & artist, Robert Mapplethorpe has his nipple pierced, while his then lover looks on and Patti Smith talks almost non stop to keep Robert from freaking out. Hard core fans of Smith will probably want to see this for Patti's story telling abilities (there is none of Patti Smith's music on the soundtrack, just so's you know). The film has a very grainy,kitchen sink look that adds a bit of charm to the going's on here (I'm guessing it was filmed in either the old school Super 8mm or 16mm,making the distribution a bit limited to cinemas that feature such equipment). I first got to see this little gem at a retrospective of Mapplethorpe's photography some years ago (some might remember it was shut down for an hour in a gallery in Ohio,due to complaints that the photos were pornographic in nature). If you have an sensitive nature,or are offended in general by such goings on,you may consider taking a pass on it (it doesn't flinch in it's depiction of a man's nipple being pierced on camera). You have been advised