one of the most common eulogy today for lenny bruce be that he die for our sin . perhaps one of the strong point of lenny be that it do not overtly proclaim the truth of this sentiment and one way or the other the overdose sequence come and naturally and after the crescendo of lenny legal loss and might therefore lead one to believe that his death be cause by his struggle for freedom of speech . however we be also treat to multiple example of lenny hedonism and the choice ( perhaps poor and perhaps misguide ) that be also to blame for his death . do he die for our sin . or do he die because he overdose on heroin when he should have know well . a little bit of both and but both fosse and hoffman leave it open . hoffman be simply wonderful . i have never see footage of a bruce concert or performance and but i have several a music file and have listen to them many time ( particularly the berkeley and carnegie hall performance that be also undoubtedly cd now ) while hoffman capture his verbal mannerism perfectly . the pause and the stutter and the sly laugh close your eye and lenny bruce be right there . much of the material will be familiar to anyone who have listen to bruce work and but there be also much that i have never hear . the last performance in which lenny be on stage in nothing except a raincoat and in particular and be eye open accord to the trivia it actually occur and be send in by a student who be at the show . the black and white look lend the film a very raw feel and which be fit give lenny comic mannerism and subject . i do not know much about cinematography and but i do know that it work well . the film also make it very clear that bruce be far more than tit joke and profanity . it easy for some to see and hear lenny bruce and think him unoriginal and boring and simply not that big of a deal especially in comparison to the comedy of today . my personal opinion be that bruce be just a funny today a he be when he be alive represent a dangerous kind of funny and a ha ha funny in which youre not sure if you should be laugh but you do it anyway and a funny unafraid of anything and any boundary and any social more . yes he be shock and and yes sometimes some of the comedy be derive from obscenity in the way that some of the comedy of many an otherwise highbrow movie be derive from the obscene and but ultimately lenny value be that he laugh at his ( and our ) fault and make it seem okay to join him . the scene where he very dramatically segue way from a successful bit to him call for nigger be an example of this while it hold it value even today . the audience be shock and sure that he have finally step over the line and and lenny reel them in with his skill and acuity and go around point out the kykes and spic and wop and etc . and note that if jfk use the word nigger everyday in his public speech it might one day mean that the word no longer have the power to make a twelve year old black kid cry . it be just one more example of the power of word and of lenny bruce awareness of this . the clear dilemma of the movie be that bruce be crass and rude and selfish and often annoy and highly unlikable . and ultimately right . i have always get the sense that lenny be most undoubtedly an asshole and and that the case for martyrdom have a little too much revisionism go for it . i do not think he do his comedy to empower the rest of u and per se and nor to make a sacrifice for freedom of speech and and by inference and the soul of america . i think that lenny bruce be just be lenny bruce and that he could no more not get up in front of an audience and speak frankly of what be on his mind than you or i could stop breathe on purpose . that he do so be right and natural for him and and to do otherwise would probably have drive him mad or at least mediocre while it do not diminish his impact nor his contribution to american comedy and american society and america . hoffman and fosse have bring all of this out . see this movie especially if youre easily offend and because you need it the most .