The Battle Of Love's Return is the first feature length film that Lloyd Kaufman directed in 1971. Made for only $8,000 and shot on 16mm, it features a style that you wouldn't expect from the same man who brought us The Toxic Avenger. Part wacky comedy and part documentary, The Battle Of Love's Return is an interesting little film that showcases a young Lloyd Kaufman cutting his teeth in film.
The Battle Of Love's Return tells the story of Abacrombie(played by Lloyd Kaufman, due to last minute cast changes), a man who is trying to find his identity in a large metropolis. However, everyone he tries to be friends with and help out stomp all over him, even a pyschologist he visits that tells him he's ugly and can't stand him. His Dreamgirl(Lynn Lowry), who seems to appear everywhere he goes, is always right out of his reach. Due to these consequences, he finds himself trying his hardest to fit in and trying even harder to keep a job. This eventually leads him to the battlefield, where the film's greatest symbolism comes into play.
The style used in The Battle Of Love's Return is quite interesting. Usually, before a character is introduced in the film, we're treated to a black and white interview with them, conducted by Lloyd Kaufman. Some of these are interesting, but most of them drag on and are extremely uninteresting and tedious to set through. But remember, this was Lloyd's first film and he had not yet fully developed his style. Sure, some scenes drag or are confusing, but the parts that work do so very well. Anyone who doubts Lloyd of being an artist should take a look at the symbolism used in the film, because it's quite impressive.
The acting is mostly amateur, because Lloyd couldn't afford to pay actors. Lloyd does okay in the lead role, but he seems very camera shy, unlike his later acting roles. Stanley Kaufman, Lloyd's father, plays his boss and does a very good job doing so. Lynn Lowry does a great job playing Abacrombie's Dream Girl. She has a very memorable face and likable presence, that landed her acting roles later on. Film scholars should note that Academy Award winner Oliver Stone is featured in a small cameo.
Overall, Battle of Love's Return is a very interesting film. It uses a style that is very different from most films. Despite Lloyd Kaufman's later claims that Battle Of Love's Return is a piece of shit, I enjoyed it and recommend it to any Troma fan who'd like to see the roots of their favorite film studio. It shows you a very different film from Lloyd Kaufman, which is quite entertaining.
Rating: 3 out of 5
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