Film > Drama

Reunited for the first (and only) time since their brilliant performances in Mel Brooks' The Producers, Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder excel in Rhinoceros, a hilarious satire which raises serious questions about individuality and personal freedom. Adapted from his own stage play by Eugene Ionesco, possibly the key playwright in the Theatre of the Absurd movement, Rhinoceros asks if the average person can resist the urge to conform with the rest of society, and maintain a unique character. Written in the aftermath of World War 2 and at the height of the Cold War, the themes of Rhinocerous still carry an important message. Gene Wilder plays ineffectual office worker Stanley, spending his days with his friend John (Mostel), and pining for his co-worker Daisy (Karen Black). When Stanley discovers to his horror that the human population is turning into rhinoceroses, he is determined to take a stand…but will he be able to resist? Taking the role he created on the Broadway stage, Zero Mostel gives an astonishing comic performance. His transformation sequence has to be seen to be believed!