Why was Carnal Knowledge controversial when it was released?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Mike Nichols, wearing a black tuxedo and bow tie, stands smiling at a podium with a star-shaped award in front of him at the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards. — Mike Nichols American director Mike Nichols in 2010. He was one of only a few people to have ever earned an EGOT, having won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony over the course of his career.

The 1971 film Carnal Knowledge, directed by Mike Nichols, was controversial primarily due to its frank and realistic treatment of sex.1

The film offered a trenchant and somber examination of the romantic and sexual struggles of two friends as they navigated relationships from the 1940s through the sexual revolution of the 1960s. By depicting these themes with such directness, the movie challenged the prevailing social norms of the time, which were still transitioning away from the restrictive Hays Code era. Despite the controversy surrounding its content, the film was a box-office success and was critically well-received, notably helping to solidify Jack Nicholson’s status as a major star.12