I’m curious how the original writer would react to this adaptation. It’s undeniably crude and vulgar, which might have appealed to him, but it also lacks subtlety – something I suspect wouldn’t have entertained him as much. The film immediately establishes a very early seventies aesthetic, featuring Helmut Berger in the lead role—he's blond, handsome, and indulging in a life of excess. When he poses for "Basil" (Rich…