WWW- Would you believe that the cultural war that’s currently dividing the country started with a dislocated clitoris and an historic feat of fellatio? That’s the idea behind the documentary, “Inside Deep Throat.”, www.xxxdeepthroat.com.

Gay directors Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, who gave us “Party Monster,” “Monica in Black and White” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” make a good case in their glossy, high-speed film that’s both entertaining and instructive. In its examination of the religious right’s first victory, the documentary provides a cultural history lesson as it spans a 40-year struggle against bigotry.

Because the plot of “Deep Throat” probably rings as familiar as the storyline in “Gone With the Wind,” a recap seems redundant. But for those who’s haven’t seen or heard of this immortal 61-minute movie, here’s a quick synopsis: Linda Lovelace, who plays herself, longs for a climax, so she consults a physician, played by Harry Reems. After she swallows the doctor’s sizeable member, the diagnosis is obvious: The lady’s clitoris lies in her throat. So she ends her quest for the holy grail of sexual pleasure, which she describes in those timeless words, “There should be bells ringing, dams bursting, bombs going off.”

A now doddery Lenny Camp, who served as the Florida location manager for the production back in 1972, describes “Deep Throat” as “a piece of shit film,” then adds, “the actors are all shit.” The contemporary interviews with Camp and others involved in the movie’s creation – including hairdresser-turned-director, Gerard Damiano – cut into historical footage and climactic scenes from the film itself.

Several cultural luminaries add a touch of class to the motley remains of the original cast and crew, aging porn stars and grainy “Deep Throat” sequences. The distinguished roster includes Norman Mailer, Erica Jong, Gore Vidal, Larry Flynt, and Helen Gurley Brown, who recommends semen as a skin treatment.

The other commentators are less practical as they condemn trumped-up moral values and defend what they consider the First Amendment’s guarantee that the public has a right to view sex in action. Jong blames “a very cynical pornographic industry” for taking the innocence out of screened copulation and “coining money hand over fist” – perhaps an unintentional but appropriate choice of words.

An aspiring filmmaker with his original hot script in hand, Damiano picked up $25,000 from questionable sources, who eventually earned $600,000,000 from their investment. While the documentary reveals the mob’s involvement in the film’s making and its distribution, the actual details are handled with caution.

Whatever the shady connections that lurked in the background, the cast and crew earned minimal salaries and never shared in the windfall once “Deep Throat” turned into “porno chic” as dubbed by a New York Times reviewer. Even Variety recognized the piece as a seminal contribution to the depiction of sex on the silver screen.

So did the U.S. government, which was then headed by Richard Nixon. The president, along with other virtuous leaders like Senator William Keating, realized that porn made good politics. So they launched a crusade against filth and spent millions trying to block the depiction of Lovelace’s admirable talents. One commentator notes that the government turned out to be the film’s most effective press agent and played a major role in its nationwide success.

Then the feminists moved in to stop what they called screen rape, but their protests only increased box office revenues. At one point Gloria Steinem and Lovelace become bosom buddies. But soon enough, the fading and flat-broke penis swallower – the film was originally titled “The Sword Swallower” – finally realizes that her sisters are exploiting her and returns to her former profession. In 2002, Lovelace died in a car wreck.

“Inside Deep Throat” starts out as an entertaining and sometimes titillating behind-the-scenes retrospective. But once Bailey and Barbato introduce the political strains, the documentary speaks forcefully to modern America. Dennis Hopper’s narration remains subdued and indirect, but the clips from Nixon’s and Keating’s harangues make the point. And the rhetoric sounds all too familiar.

Although plans for “Deep Throat II” are not in the works, a sequel to the original assault on Damian’s masterpiece is in the making.