John Nail (ascheland) The documentary "Rocco" opens with a close up of Rocco Siffredi's penis. It's an obvious place to start, but it also serves as a summation the entire documentary. No matter how many opportunities directors Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai give the aging porn star to bare his soul, he usually ends up just showing his d--- instead, metaphorically if not literally.But Rocco's penis has served him well. His IMDb page lists over 500 "acting credits," dating back to 1986, including a few legit gigs, such as Catherine Breillat's "Anatomy of Hell" and the Italian comedy "Matrimonia a Parigi" ("Rocco" the documentary makes no mention of these forays into "real" movies). It's afforded him fame and fortune, far more than most performers in the adult industry can claim, and for far longer, too. Only Ron Jeremy's career is (ahem) longer, dating back to the late '70s. Yet Rocco, in much better shape in his 50s than Jeremy was in his 30s, thinks it's time to retire from performing. He cites concerns for his teen-age sons, who know what their father does for a living but are, as presented in the documentary, shielded from seeing their father in action. (Their mother, Rosa Caracciolo, was also once a porn star, another detail this documentary makes no mention of.) Mostly, though, he's just tired. To hear him tell it, having a generous endowment and hyperactive sex drive is as much a curse as a blessing. In fact, Rocco pretty much portrays himself as a sex addict, barely able to interact with women outside of sex. Even when grieving the death of his beloved mother Rocco is unable to keep his desires in check: he tells of an encounter with a friend of his mother after his mother's funeral, when he takes out his moneymaker and coerces the woman--a senior citizen, mind you--to fellate him. The story is simultaneously outrageous (it sounds like a scene out of an '70s-era French sex comedy) and unsettling. He's telling the story to illustrate how he's a helpless slave to sex, blithely ignoring that, as he's told it, he forced an old woman to give him a BJ. There are more graphic examples of Rocco's uneasy relations with women in the industry. At his Budapest-based porn production company, he's charming and even fatherly when chatting with his female performers before putting them in an uncomfortably rough group-sex scene, the kind that leaves women with rug burns on their backsides. (The only sex shown in this movie is of the rough variety.) He's equally charming in Los Angeles when meeting scene partner Abella Danger, then takes her up on an offer to demonstrate her ability to swallow his entire hand. Danger may not be doing anything against her will, but that doesn't make it any easier to watch her, gagging and with tears streaming down her face, as Rocco pushes his entire hand into her mouth. The co-star Rocco chooses for his final scene is English porn star Kelly Stafford, much to the dismay of his hot-headed cousin and business partner, director Gabriel "Gabby" Galetta, who makes his dislike of the outspoken Stafford plain. One gets the idea that the fact that Stafford speaks at all is an issue in Galetta's eyes. Stafford is a handful, but I liked her for being a confident woman who won't do anything with which she'd be uncomfortable. In other words, she's not the type to let a man shove his hand down her throat just to prove she's compliant. Though "Rocco" has its moments of levity, like a shot of naked male performers standing outside for a smoke break between takes, or the perplexed faces of crew members at Kink.com's studios, where Rocco's supposed final scene is being shot, as they listen to Galetta's confusing directions, they are overshadowed by the more depressing aspects of porn the documentary inadvertently exposes. Turns out enacting people's sexual fantasies is as dehumanizing and grueling as working on a factory assembly line. As for Rocco himself, he's personable if a little self-absorbed, not nearly as introspective or sensitive as he'd like us to believe, and his treatment of women is just a tad bit rape-y. Mostly, though, he's a guy who has a big penis.

ms_jade_li Up until last night, I'd never heard of Rocco Siffredi. Maybe that's because I don't watch pornography, Italian porn in particular. Last night, after re-watching the final episode of the 3rd season of Peaky Blinders, then deciding not to begin season 4, I browsed netflix for something different. It took at least 15 minutes of indecisiveness before coming across Rocco. The "jacket" is him, standing nude, somewhat like the photo above, but full body, excluding genitalia. Reading the blurb, it says Rocco is, "showcased in this documentary that shadows the legendary performer during his final year in front of the camera." I thought what the heck, this is New Year's Eve, I'm having a few drinks instead of going out and risking car accidents and drunk driving charges, and there should be a fun element to the evening - how do these sound for rationalizations to give myself permission to watch it - so I clicked "play".The film globe-trots between porn sets in Italy and in parts of California. It is very matter-of-fact about the porn industry, where it appears to want to portray all of the females as happy, well-adjusted, and just jumping for the chance to be pounded in every orifice, slapped around, etc. Likewise the porn producers are all gentlemen, would never think of sampling the merchandise, and have noble ideals when it comes to plot lines, etc. That's a conversation for another day. To watch Rocco, those thoughts must be suspended, like when you watch a Star Wars movie.The star of the film, and not just because he's hung like a horse, is Rocco. It must be stated here that there are literally only 2 or 3 shots of Rocco's substantial package. Along with globe-trotting porn sets, it intersperses business with the human being behind the legend. Rocco the husband, the father, the son. His remembrances from childhood that certainly contributed to the career line he chose for himself and has continued until recently. What is impossible to ignore is the humanity behind the appendage. Rocco's personality is what makes him the star that he is.The latter part of the documentary focuses on Rocco's decision to stop making porn movies and who he wants starring with him in his final film. Kelly Stafford, from England, is the chosen one. There's a very interesting discussion that takes place on the road trip with Rocco, his cousin, Gabriele Galeta, who is Rocco's cousin/best friend/director/cameraman, and Kelly on the way to the studio about dominance, submissiveness, etc.There isn't a lot of nudity in Rocco. There are tastefully edited scenes around the porn itself, and I don't remember much, if any, swearing. You might say why watch a movie about a porn star if none of these things are in it? Why? Because Rocco is in almost every shot and Rocco is a God. Or, if not a God, at minimum he's a fallen angel.

meuniernorm Let me start off by saying I'm the furthest thing from a prude. Like most men, I've seen my fair share of porn and then some. I've lived through porn's "golden era", (i.e., pre-videotape and pre-internet).Porn used to be very expensive to buy. It also wasn't very high-def either. This so-called documentary almost goes out of its way to be as blurry as those old VHS tapes were. The documentary is structured as if you just came in the middle of something, and no background or context is provided.It takes a hardcore subject, and illustrates gang bangs and other raw activities in such a way that it already puts into question the morality or lawfulness of what they are doing.Most documentaries about porn or its actors often tend to portray the negative side,casting its participants as hapless unfortunates drawn together for the sake of a quick buck or infamy. The girls have Daddy issues and the guys have big dicks and unmatched libidos.To an outsider (i.e., those who haven't seen much porn), it almost always comes as a shock. You only get to see one side of the game. It all seems like chaos and indulgence. Rocco's duality, between his sex drive and his pious Italian upbringing appears to the reason why he's left feeling empty inside. Religion has a long tradition of treating sex as sinful and vile. But Rocco made his decision early in life to satisfy his earthly needs, and deal with the morals and ethics down the road. It's all an empty gesture to claim sorrow over choosing a life of porn, screwing every single fantasy woman imaginable.To me, it's all "first world problems". I have zero sympathy for his internal demons. Men in his position could have handled their super libidos in many different ways. To start crying the blues now just seems pathetic and dumb. There are millions of men who suffer every single day NOT having sex, or living with ED. Rocco's over-abundance doesn't move me to tears.Just about everything in this documentary is designed to confuse, misdirect and prop up the man as a tragic character. I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. Boo hoo, boo hoo... poor old me. I'm washed up as a porn actor, and I've suffered for my craft. Sure buddy. Whatever. The way Italian men think of their mamma's as saints makes me puke, especially for those that are in the mob or make a living porking the babes. It all seems a bit hypocritical, in my eyes.Rashida Jones' series on the porn industry is ten times better than this load of horse crap.

Stephanie4040 This has got to be one of the most disturbing documentaries I've ever watched. There was no insight into Rocco and his personal life or thoughts, there was no life history or interviews with him, it was just him treating his co-stars like trash. Although his young co-stars had consented to working with him and being slapped and choked, he was openly and clearly taking advantage of their vulnerability. Basically this documentary consists of various behind the scenes porn shoots of him abusing women repeatedly to the point they are crying and screaming for him to stop. He chokes them, hits them, makes them cry, and continues to do so despite the fact they are clearly not having a good time. At one point one of his co-stars is in tears watching him destroy a fellow co-star, presumably petrified at what she's about to go through herself. And if that's not bad enough, he seems to think it's all a big joke and is proud they let him do whatever he wants to them. It's pretty obvious to the viewer they don't feel like they're in a position to say no by the time they realise how hard he's going to hit them or that they're going to be choked to the point they're vomiting. It's everything that is horrible about the porn industry and I sincerely hope this style of porn is on it's way out. The worst thing of all is that he seems to think that after the scene is finished, giving them a hug and a kiss makes his despicable treatment of them okay. Absolutely horrific to watch.