Obscene is a documentary about Grove Press publisher Barney Rosset. Rosset was responsible for the first U.S. publications of controversial novels like Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Tropic of Cancer, Naked Lunch and the Autobiography of Malcolm X. The publication of the first three of these books led to important court cases which helped liberate literature from their previously censored status.

Being a fan of Tropic of Cancer and Naked Lunch, I was aware of Grove Press, Rosset, and the court cases surrounding these books. But I was not familiar with Rosset’s life or a lot of the other work that Grove Press published.

What makes Obscene a great film is that it not only provides an understandable overview of Rosset’s life and the importance of the works he published, but it also sheds light on the difficult issues surrounding censorship. The most fascinating part of the film traces the publications of Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Tropic of Cancer, and Naked Lunch. With each successive book, claiming literary importance (one of the tests for censorship) became more difficult as the books veer further and further from contemporary standards.

Although it is easy to champion Rosset for publishing these now important books, he also guided Grove Press to publish much more questionable content. To it’s credit, Obscene does not shy away from the seedier side of Rosset’s work. The exploration of the later years of Rosset’s work with Grove Press raises a lot of questions about the nature of censorship and how far we are willing to go to defend free speech.