End of the Road (1970 film)

End of the Road
Directed byAram Avakian
Written by
Based onThe End of the Road
by John Barth
Produced by
  • Stephen F. Kesten
  • Terry Southern
Starring
CinematographyGordon Willis
Edited by
Music byTeo Macero
Production
company
Distributed byAllied Artists
Release date
  • February 10, 1970 (1970-02-10)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

End of the Road is a 1970 American satirical black comedy drama film directed, co-written, and edited by Aram Avakian and adapted from a 1958 novel by John Barth, and stars Stacy Keach, James Earl Jones and Harris Yulin. The film follows Jacob Horner, a man who has a catatonic episode and is taken to "The Farm", an unconventional mental institution run by an eccentric doctor. After being cured, Jacob takes a job as an English lecturer and begins a disastrous affair with Rennie, the wife of a colleague.

The film was given an X rating for a detailed abortion scene and a scene where a man has sex with a chicken. The film won the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival. Despite a mixed critical reaction at the time of its release, the film acquired a cult following at art movie houses across the U.S. In 2012, it was released on DVD as part of the Warner Archive Collection. The revival was spearheaded by director Steven Soderbergh, who made the companion documentary, An Amazing Time: A Conversation About the End of the Road, for the DVD release.