Top 10 Films Featuring Gay and Lesbian Themes
May 14th 2008 05:36
Category: No Category
In compiling this list, I am promoting my personal favourite films, even though one of them has only passing explorations of homosexuality, and one of them only has subtext. Nonetheless, I think it's better to recommend a film which has a slight exploration of non-Heterosexuality than one which utilises it as its main theme but isn't as engaging. Most of these films are feel-good, with two important exceptions. In no particular order:
Frida (2002)
A rich, sumptuously shot film about the impassioned life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, set early in the 20th century. Frida is ahead of her time and her paintings are seen as revolutionary, both by a famous artist who goes on to be her husband, Diego Rivera, and by the outside world which struggles to understand her depth of feeling and talent for expression. Frida, whose life is quite dramatic, has sexual experiences with both men and women, two of which are depicted in the film: the first is a sensual and teasing dance with Ashley Judd's Tina Modotti (and if artistic, erotically charged same-sex dancing is your thing, I also recommend Carlos Saura's Tango, where the two women make out at the end of their performance), and the second is set in a restraunt where Frida fondles her female companion's crotch under the table. Frida and her husband become Socialist revolutionaries and towards the end of the film they spend some time with Russian exile Leon Trotsky, with whom Frida has an affair. This disturbs Diego despite his many affairs with other women, including Frida's sister. A must see whatever your sexual orientation. The director of the film is female, Julie Taymour, and Salma Hayek's performance is hypnotically charismatic- she makes a monobrow look sexy.
All About My Mother (1999)
When Manuela loses her only son in a car accident, she decides to relocate to Barcelona from Madrid, where she crosses paths with a wide variety of people, including a transsexual named Agrado who decides to move on from being a prostitute, a sweet, altruistic nun named Rosa (Penelope Cruz) preparing to do charity work in San Salvador, and a troupe of touring actors performing A Streetcar Named Desire. She becomes an assistant to Huma, the lead actress, who says claims to be 'addicted' to her drug-addled co-star Nina. The shadow of Manuela's mysterious husband lingers in many a frame, until we finally meet him at the end of the film. AAMM deals with art and artifice, including that of being a woman. Manuela claims that all women are a bit 'lesbo'. Despite exploring dark themes such as AIDS, prostitution and death, the movie's love of life is impossible to resist, and the bright colours bring to life the vibrant Barcelona. The characters are no less colourful, and have great chemistry, creating a cosy exploration of friendship, love and loss. This is my favourite Pedro Almodovar film.
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
This is a Baz Luhrmann explosion of colour and spectacle, a melodramatic musical which soars and dives its way into my heart every time. A postmodern tribute to the creative process, the film is based around the Parisian nightclub Moulin Rouge (still standing today) at the turn of the 20th century, and combines music, theatre, dance, writing and cabaret for an all-out blue and red hued chairoscuro which will leave you overwhelmed. The costumes are as dazzling as the mise-en-scene, and the acting is fabulous. Contemporary music was used to demonstrate to modern viewers the codes and customs of the period, and so you'll find 'Voulez Vouz Coucher Avec Moi' by Mya, Pink, Lil Kim and Christina Aguilera played off by 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana in a single sequence. While the main relationship is between Christian (Ewan McGregor and Satine (Nicole Kidman), their love is set in the 'anything goes' atmosphere of MR, and you'll see fleeting shots of beefy, tattooed guys slow-dancing in the nightclub or lesbians cavorting together under the starry skies of Montmartre. There's something for everyone, with sexualised dwarves and representations of various other alternative lifestyles. Then there's the camp interlude between Jim Broadbent and Richard Roxburgh, performed to Madonna's 'Like a Virgin'. Moulin Rouge! is an engaging love story about following your heart and living your life with passion, heightened by Luhrmann's masterful directing.
The Dreamers (2003)
When American student Matthew comes to Paris to study, he meets an enigmatic brother and sister, Isabelle and Theo. As he gets closer to the two he realises that they are having an incestuous relationship, and soon becomes part of their insulated world. In love with a limited version of Paris and cinema, the three youths escape into their own world of artistic and sexual discovery, even as other students are on the brink of the riots of 1968. Theo and Isabelle's father imparts the wisdom that to start a revolution they must engage with the outside world, but the two are too intimidated by the prospect of confonting their fears and insecurities to venture far away from the known. Can Matthew, and the outside world, open them up to new experiences? This Bertolucci film originally had more scenes of sexual experimentation between Matthew and Theo, but the final cut is pretty tame on that front, although there is a lot of nudity in this film in general.
The History Boys (2006)
A film of academic and sexual discovery with comedic overtones and a dramatic story structure, The History Boys was not what I was expecting. A group of smart young high school boys in 1980s England are being prepared for the exams which will determine if they will go to top universities or not, and they find themselves with much to learn when an unconventional young teacher comes to challenge their abilities. Literary references are everywhere, as is various explorations of and attitudes towards homosexuality. A male teacher is molesting the kids, one of the boys who wants to be a teacher himself comes to terms with his desire for the hunky guy in his class who will never return his affection, whereas said hunky guy brashly asks his teacher to give him sexual favours. Nicholas Hytner's unique contribution to cinema is worth a look.
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
When Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder) checks into a mental institution for 18 months, she begins to realise that she must get her act together. She encounters very colourful characters, each of whom has something to contribute to her story, and none of whom are what they seem. She develops a friendship with sociopathic Lisa Rowe (Angelina Jolie) that leads them to break rules and conventions and create their own sense of justice. Lisa deliberately flirts with a woman who is at the hospital because of her lesbianism though she has no intention to take it further, and acts recklessly and irresponsibly in many areas of her life. Despite Susanna's many trysts with men, she and Lisa share a kiss in the middle of the piece. Directed by James Mangold, the film also features Clea DuVall as a compulsive liar and Brittany Murphy as an incredibly insecure patient who has an incestuous relationship with her father.
American Beauty (1999)
This dark, off-beat and quirky dramedy about dysfunctional characters and Lester Burnham's journey of self-rediscovery won 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. When we begin Lester (Kevin Spacey, who also won Best Actor) claims that masturbating in the shower is inevitably the best part of his day, he's disillusioned with his wife and can't reach his teenage daughter. Every character, seemingly except the happy gay couple, Jim and Jim, who live next door to the Burnhams is in dysfunctional relationships and has a lot of internal angst. Our exposure to them is brief, while we sit with the characters who struggle through every day, including the other family next door, a troubled young voyeur, his homophobic father and his deranged mother. This film makes me think about postmodern alienation, as does its successor TV series, Six Feet Under (also written by the gay Alan Ball). I won't give away the ending, but there's a pretty powerful statement made about homosexuality, even though the character responsible for it is represented in a negative light. The acting is brilliant, the movie looks delicious (there are some stand-out shots like a red door lit up in the night as rain falls outside) and the framing and editing are divine. It's also got a very atmospheric soundtrack.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Things aren't quite what they seem when a Betty Elms meets beautiful amnesiac Rita. David Lynch introduced Naomi Watts to mainstream movie-making with his dream logic. The first three quarters of the film are intriguing enough, but it's watching them with the final quarter in mind that raises new, deeper questions about identity, sexuality and what lurks beneath the glossy images of Hollywood. The main relationship is between Naomi Watts and Laura Harring, and there is a very sexy lesbian scene, albeit informed by pain and disconent. This is quite a depressing movie, so be prepared to get disturbed.
Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson has created one of the most successful films of all time. The darkness in this fantasy increases the closer we get to the climax, with an all-male Fellowship determined to destroy a ring that could be used for the destruction of all that is good in the world. Despite only officially dealing with heterosexual relationships, this is one of the most homoerotic films out there. It's a veritable posterchild for gay subtext, what with Sam's perpetual (and touching) devotion to his fellow hobbit Frodo, Aragorn's kissing of Boromir's forehead as the dying human hails him his 'captain', Legolas and Aragorn's deep engagement with each other's gazes and various other aspects of this triology, which is more than 11 hours long. Frodo telling Sam that he is "glad to be with [him], Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things" as he holds him close comes off as a revelation: 'The end of all things' could be said to symbolise the fall of the great adversary that is heteronormative custom. It's the one of the climaxes of the film, and they are emotionally and physically spent and are rejoicing in the other's presence. Then there's the ecstatic smiles on their faces when they reunite while Frodo is recovering in bed, and the extended farewell with more forehead kissing. Sam may end up marrying Rosie, but the emotional intesity of his film-long engagement with Frodo suggests that his heart could be elsewhere.
The on-screen chemistry is made available by intense relationships in real life. Sean Astin joked about leaving four messages on Elijah Wood's answering machine ('you know, in that way') at the MTV Awards, Orlando Bloom was going on and on about how brilliant Viggo Mortensen was and laughingly admitted he sounded like he was 'in love with the guy', and, well, watch the actors' discussion after Viggo kisses Billy Boyd here. Clearly the homoeroticism abounded off the screen too, and its not surprising that thousands of fans have written fiction about their favourite LotR characters, or the actors that portray them. Apparently Dominic Monaghan printed some of the RPS (Real Person Slash) stories and shared them with some of the cast at one of Elijah Wood's birthday parties. It's all pretty funny. So yeah, if you missed the ubiquitous gayness of The Lord of the Rings, you clearly didn't want to see it.
Fight Club (1999)
When Edward Norton's character (he is known only as 'The Narrator', or sometimes as Jack) meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), he has had his support network invaded by a woman who is similarly drawn to support meetings for people suffering from serious diseases, like testicular cancer or brain disease. He claims he can't 'be real' about his pain when there's another 'faker' present, and so he goes back to being an insomniac. The narrator is a disgruntled employee for a car company whose job it is to determine whether a cost of recall is worth it when malfunctions come to his attention. How he deals with consumer culture and materialism is both scandalous and refreshing. A high budget anarchic text with the colours drained from the frame and given a greenish tinge, this film is David Fincher's masterpiece and so beautifully shot and framed as to leave me ranting for days. There's a big twist at the end which will make you want to watch the flm all over again.
This is another case where subtext is the logic of the day, with The narrator coming off as quite disturbed when Tyler sleeps with the woman he supposedly hates, Marla Singer. Then there's little things like referring to his relationship with Tyler as 'Ozzie and Harriet'-like with a bit of tie-adjusting playing. Don't see this movie for the subtext, though. See it because it's impeccably shot, complete with subliminal flashing and some of the most interesting treatises on consumerism you will ever see.
A TV Bonus:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) (1997-2003)
Another cult favourite, Buffy is famous for representing a happy lesbian relationship between characters Willow and Tara, and featuring other gay characters, but just as important is the subtext, which is all over the place, perhaps most poignantly when Buffy's mother shuns her when she learns about her identity as The Slayer.
Frida (2002)
A rich, sumptuously shot film about the impassioned life of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, set early in the 20th century. Frida is ahead of her time and her paintings are seen as revolutionary, both by a famous artist who goes on to be her husband, Diego Rivera, and by the outside world which struggles to understand her depth of feeling and talent for expression. Frida, whose life is quite dramatic, has sexual experiences with both men and women, two of which are depicted in the film: the first is a sensual and teasing dance with Ashley Judd's Tina Modotti (and if artistic, erotically charged same-sex dancing is your thing, I also recommend Carlos Saura's Tango, where the two women make out at the end of their performance), and the second is set in a restraunt where Frida fondles her female companion's crotch under the table. Frida and her husband become Socialist revolutionaries and towards the end of the film they spend some time with Russian exile Leon Trotsky, with whom Frida has an affair. This disturbs Diego despite his many affairs with other women, including Frida's sister. A must see whatever your sexual orientation. The director of the film is female, Julie Taymour, and Salma Hayek's performance is hypnotically charismatic- she makes a monobrow look sexy.
All About My Mother (1999)
When Manuela loses her only son in a car accident, she decides to relocate to Barcelona from Madrid, where she crosses paths with a wide variety of people, including a transsexual named Agrado who decides to move on from being a prostitute, a sweet, altruistic nun named Rosa (Penelope Cruz) preparing to do charity work in San Salvador, and a troupe of touring actors performing A Streetcar Named Desire. She becomes an assistant to Huma, the lead actress, who says claims to be 'addicted' to her drug-addled co-star Nina. The shadow of Manuela's mysterious husband lingers in many a frame, until we finally meet him at the end of the film. AAMM deals with art and artifice, including that of being a woman. Manuela claims that all women are a bit 'lesbo'. Despite exploring dark themes such as AIDS, prostitution and death, the movie's love of life is impossible to resist, and the bright colours bring to life the vibrant Barcelona. The characters are no less colourful, and have great chemistry, creating a cosy exploration of friendship, love and loss. This is my favourite Pedro Almodovar film.
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
This is a Baz Luhrmann explosion of colour and spectacle, a melodramatic musical which soars and dives its way into my heart every time. A postmodern tribute to the creative process, the film is based around the Parisian nightclub Moulin Rouge (still standing today) at the turn of the 20th century, and combines music, theatre, dance, writing and cabaret for an all-out blue and red hued chairoscuro which will leave you overwhelmed. The costumes are as dazzling as the mise-en-scene, and the acting is fabulous. Contemporary music was used to demonstrate to modern viewers the codes and customs of the period, and so you'll find 'Voulez Vouz Coucher Avec Moi' by Mya, Pink, Lil Kim and Christina Aguilera played off by 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' by Nirvana in a single sequence. While the main relationship is between Christian (Ewan McGregor and Satine (Nicole Kidman), their love is set in the 'anything goes' atmosphere of MR, and you'll see fleeting shots of beefy, tattooed guys slow-dancing in the nightclub or lesbians cavorting together under the starry skies of Montmartre. There's something for everyone, with sexualised dwarves and representations of various other alternative lifestyles. Then there's the camp interlude between Jim Broadbent and Richard Roxburgh, performed to Madonna's 'Like a Virgin'. Moulin Rouge! is an engaging love story about following your heart and living your life with passion, heightened by Luhrmann's masterful directing.
The Dreamers (2003)
When American student Matthew comes to Paris to study, he meets an enigmatic brother and sister, Isabelle and Theo. As he gets closer to the two he realises that they are having an incestuous relationship, and soon becomes part of their insulated world. In love with a limited version of Paris and cinema, the three youths escape into their own world of artistic and sexual discovery, even as other students are on the brink of the riots of 1968. Theo and Isabelle's father imparts the wisdom that to start a revolution they must engage with the outside world, but the two are too intimidated by the prospect of confonting their fears and insecurities to venture far away from the known. Can Matthew, and the outside world, open them up to new experiences? This Bertolucci film originally had more scenes of sexual experimentation between Matthew and Theo, but the final cut is pretty tame on that front, although there is a lot of nudity in this film in general.
The History Boys (2006)
A film of academic and sexual discovery with comedic overtones and a dramatic story structure, The History Boys was not what I was expecting. A group of smart young high school boys in 1980s England are being prepared for the exams which will determine if they will go to top universities or not, and they find themselves with much to learn when an unconventional young teacher comes to challenge their abilities. Literary references are everywhere, as is various explorations of and attitudes towards homosexuality. A male teacher is molesting the kids, one of the boys who wants to be a teacher himself comes to terms with his desire for the hunky guy in his class who will never return his affection, whereas said hunky guy brashly asks his teacher to give him sexual favours. Nicholas Hytner's unique contribution to cinema is worth a look.
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
When Susanna Kaysen (Winona Ryder) checks into a mental institution for 18 months, she begins to realise that she must get her act together. She encounters very colourful characters, each of whom has something to contribute to her story, and none of whom are what they seem. She develops a friendship with sociopathic Lisa Rowe (Angelina Jolie) that leads them to break rules and conventions and create their own sense of justice. Lisa deliberately flirts with a woman who is at the hospital because of her lesbianism though she has no intention to take it further, and acts recklessly and irresponsibly in many areas of her life. Despite Susanna's many trysts with men, she and Lisa share a kiss in the middle of the piece. Directed by James Mangold, the film also features Clea DuVall as a compulsive liar and Brittany Murphy as an incredibly insecure patient who has an incestuous relationship with her father.
American Beauty (1999)
This dark, off-beat and quirky dramedy about dysfunctional characters and Lester Burnham's journey of self-rediscovery won 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Screenplay. When we begin Lester (Kevin Spacey, who also won Best Actor) claims that masturbating in the shower is inevitably the best part of his day, he's disillusioned with his wife and can't reach his teenage daughter. Every character, seemingly except the happy gay couple, Jim and Jim, who live next door to the Burnhams is in dysfunctional relationships and has a lot of internal angst. Our exposure to them is brief, while we sit with the characters who struggle through every day, including the other family next door, a troubled young voyeur, his homophobic father and his deranged mother. This film makes me think about postmodern alienation, as does its successor TV series, Six Feet Under (also written by the gay Alan Ball). I won't give away the ending, but there's a pretty powerful statement made about homosexuality, even though the character responsible for it is represented in a negative light. The acting is brilliant, the movie looks delicious (there are some stand-out shots like a red door lit up in the night as rain falls outside) and the framing and editing are divine. It's also got a very atmospheric soundtrack.
Mulholland Drive (2001)
Things aren't quite what they seem when a Betty Elms meets beautiful amnesiac Rita. David Lynch introduced Naomi Watts to mainstream movie-making with his dream logic. The first three quarters of the film are intriguing enough, but it's watching them with the final quarter in mind that raises new, deeper questions about identity, sexuality and what lurks beneath the glossy images of Hollywood. The main relationship is between Naomi Watts and Laura Harring, and there is a very sexy lesbian scene, albeit informed by pain and disconent. This is quite a depressing movie, so be prepared to get disturbed.
Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
Adapted from J.R.R. Tolkien, Peter Jackson has created one of the most successful films of all time. The darkness in this fantasy increases the closer we get to the climax, with an all-male Fellowship determined to destroy a ring that could be used for the destruction of all that is good in the world. Despite only officially dealing with heterosexual relationships, this is one of the most homoerotic films out there. It's a veritable posterchild for gay subtext, what with Sam's perpetual (and touching) devotion to his fellow hobbit Frodo, Aragorn's kissing of Boromir's forehead as the dying human hails him his 'captain', Legolas and Aragorn's deep engagement with each other's gazes and various other aspects of this triology, which is more than 11 hours long. Frodo telling Sam that he is "glad to be with [him], Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things" as he holds him close comes off as a revelation: 'The end of all things' could be said to symbolise the fall of the great adversary that is heteronormative custom. It's the one of the climaxes of the film, and they are emotionally and physically spent and are rejoicing in the other's presence. Then there's the ecstatic smiles on their faces when they reunite while Frodo is recovering in bed, and the extended farewell with more forehead kissing. Sam may end up marrying Rosie, but the emotional intesity of his film-long engagement with Frodo suggests that his heart could be elsewhere.
The on-screen chemistry is made available by intense relationships in real life. Sean Astin joked about leaving four messages on Elijah Wood's answering machine ('you know, in that way') at the MTV Awards, Orlando Bloom was going on and on about how brilliant Viggo Mortensen was and laughingly admitted he sounded like he was 'in love with the guy', and, well, watch the actors' discussion after Viggo kisses Billy Boyd here. Clearly the homoeroticism abounded off the screen too, and its not surprising that thousands of fans have written fiction about their favourite LotR characters, or the actors that portray them. Apparently Dominic Monaghan printed some of the RPS (Real Person Slash) stories and shared them with some of the cast at one of Elijah Wood's birthday parties. It's all pretty funny. So yeah, if you missed the ubiquitous gayness of The Lord of the Rings, you clearly didn't want to see it.
Fight Club (1999)
When Edward Norton's character (he is known only as 'The Narrator', or sometimes as Jack) meets Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), he has had his support network invaded by a woman who is similarly drawn to support meetings for people suffering from serious diseases, like testicular cancer or brain disease. He claims he can't 'be real' about his pain when there's another 'faker' present, and so he goes back to being an insomniac. The narrator is a disgruntled employee for a car company whose job it is to determine whether a cost of recall is worth it when malfunctions come to his attention. How he deals with consumer culture and materialism is both scandalous and refreshing. A high budget anarchic text with the colours drained from the frame and given a greenish tinge, this film is David Fincher's masterpiece and so beautifully shot and framed as to leave me ranting for days. There's a big twist at the end which will make you want to watch the flm all over again.
This is another case where subtext is the logic of the day, with The narrator coming off as quite disturbed when Tyler sleeps with the woman he supposedly hates, Marla Singer. Then there's little things like referring to his relationship with Tyler as 'Ozzie and Harriet'-like with a bit of tie-adjusting playing. Don't see this movie for the subtext, though. See it because it's impeccably shot, complete with subliminal flashing and some of the most interesting treatises on consumerism you will ever see.
A TV Bonus:
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV Series) (1997-2003)
Another cult favourite, Buffy is famous for representing a happy lesbian relationship between characters Willow and Tara, and featuring other gay characters, but just as important is the subtext, which is all over the place, perhaps most poignantly when Buffy's mother shuns her when she learns about her identity as The Slayer.
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Comment by Morgan Bell
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in Girl Interrupted i didnt think of Lisa as a "lesbian" i just thought of her as a manipulative sociopath seducing and charming anyone and everyone to get her own way . . . there is an actual stereotypical "bull-dyke" on the ward who she openly flirts with . . . i like your interpretation though!
Comment by postmoderncritic
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Comment by RubySoho
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I included Moulin Rouge because the spectacle, drama, musical sequences and lofty idealism of 'truth, beauty, freedom, love' appeals to many non-heterosexuals (including me).
Comment by Morgan Bell
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i guess (as i tend to see the world through asexual tinted glasses lol) my first interpretation of Lisa was that she was completely devoid of sexuality and everything is a ploy or a tactic
Comment by postmoderncritic
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That's a valid interpretation too! In fact, I like it...
Comment by Aimzster
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Comment by postmoderncritic
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LoTR has a really huge gay following... although I'm more familiar with the straight or bi women who write slash about the characters/actors! Arguably even Eowyn could be seen as a role model to lesbians.
I liked Boys Don't Cry myself, but I didn't include it because it was depressing without being postmodern or particularly experimental in form. A few other films I didn't include were Heavenly Creatures by Peter Jackson, Being John Malkovich by Spike Jonze, Bad Education by Pedro Almodovar, Y Tu Mama Tambien by Alfonso Cuaron, Tango by Carlos Saura, Brokeback Mountain (cause I hate it with a passion), Eastern Promises, and Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang, because they were all depressing, with the exception of KKBB which just wasn't very intellectually engaging (though I admit it was a bit of a guilty pleasure at the time).
Good to see you!
Comment by RubySoho
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Fair 'nuff. All about my mother is also a winner. In her native Spanish, Penelope Cruz is one of the most incredible actors I've ever seen. Have you seen Volver?
Comment by postmoderncritic
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I only saw All About My Mother a few months ago, and I'm so glad that I decided to give it a chance... it was gorgeous and made me feel bouncy.
I have seen Volver but for some reason I wasn't that impressed at the time. Perhaps I should see it again as I felt a bit weird on the day in general.
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Comment by Jason King
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Frida was awesome!!
Cannot believe I missed History Boys on mine - just loved it.
LOL - the LOTR - totally buy the gay thing, that and I was so into Hobbits after this film. I still love you Elijah!!!
The Dreamers was also fabulous!!!!
Must watch All About My Mother and Mullholand Drive!!
Don't know about Fight Club, I would talk about why but the first rule is "I will not talk about Fight Club". Hehe
If anyone wants another Gay Film Top Ten then Click HERE LOL - thanks for the allowance of cross promotion.
Comment by RubySoho
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Sorry...couldn't resist...
Comment by Jason King
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OK - enough gay joking. Hahahahaha
Poor Frodo!!
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Comment by postmoderncritic
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Morgan - Upon re-reading my Girl, Interrupted section I realised that this line:
could be read two ways: That the lesbianism is Lisa's, or that it is the "bull-dyke"'s. I was going for the latter, but I can see why you assumed I thought Lisa was a lesbian now. I was a bit confused before!
I don't watch The Bold & The Beautiful, but damn, you are funny! At one point during The Return of the King I was wondering if Frodo and Sam were going to kiss...
Hey Ruby - Yeah, the singing scene is very powerful. On your advice I'll give it another chance.
Hey Jason - Thanks for promoting your list, I encourage people to check it out, and also to visit Morgan's 'Top Ten Queer Films'! They're all quite different from each other, making it good to view them in conjunction so you can compare and contrast.
Elijah is beautiful, isn't he? That scene where he was being carried away by the flying birds made him look like he was in a Renaissance painting.
My favourite hobbit was Sam, he was pretty adorable (also, I like chubby people), and my favourite character overall was Aragorn. I'm a big Viggo Mortensen fan, as anyone reading this blog and Daily Inspirations has probably figured out already! I actually went through a big Aragorn/Legolas fanfiction stage... then I moved onto Viggo/Orlando or 'Viggorli'. I've kind of moved on, eve though new stories keep coming up on all those archives... it interests me that so many women are interested in male-male relationships. It's like being attracted to what you don't know. I now have greater tolerance of males who are fascinated by female-female relationships.
With Fight Club, the homoeroticism between the actors could be confusing, all things considered.
I'm not sure if it was in the script or it just turned out like that, but it's interesting from a number of angles.
And yes, you really must see Mulholland Drive and All About My Mother! Tell me what you think of them when you do...
Thanks ppl,
Epiphanie
Comment by Morgan Bell
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you probably find my language a bit abrupt sometimes but within the queer community we do like to toss our offensive labels around willy nilly lol hence after years of being bombarded by queer culture i tend to call a fag a fag and a hag a hag . . . but im happy to apologise if it makes anyone (that i care about) uncomfortable . . . include yourself in that statement
thanks for plugging my list! you rock!
(interesting none of us even had a single film overlap)
Comment by postmoderncritic
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I do tend to avoid the offensive terms; I guess if you can remember, try to avoid using the word 'fag' when making a comment to me?
About the lack of overlap, it just goes to show how many different gay-themed films there are out there!
Comment by Morgan Bell
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i think alot of gay men use "f*g" towards each other to "own it" and turn the tables on people that use it against them, if someone yells "f*g" they say "correct, i sure am, so whats your point?" . . . empowerment in visibility
but i do respect your opinions and think it is honourable of you to avoid offending people
im just telling you all this because i thought you might enjoy a gab about queer theory! haha
Comment by postmoderncritic
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Yeah, I'm aware of this argument, it's like how black people can call each other 'n*****'. For me, it would be much more empowering if they rejected the offensive terminology altogether, in either case. African American and homosexual / gay is just fine. Don't let the oppressors have the satisfaction of worming their words into your verbal agenda. I would just ignore anyone who called me that.
Actually, at the last University of Sydney Graffiti Tunnel run, Michael painted 'not gay as in happy, queer as in fuck you' upon one of the surfaces, which made me really sad. I do tend to associate 'gay' with 'happy', and I think its a positive association to make, so I don't know where he got all his angst from... I think that even if you don't feel happy you should fake it until you do... or more like work your way into it by refusing to give up on positivity.
Comment by Morgan Bell
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haha go michael, maybe ive been projecting my angst on him! i really must go get that printed on a shirt! michaels a cool little guy!
i understand what you are saying about it being like the N word and different african americans seem to have different opinions on that too
self-deprecating humour and beating others to the punch often wins out over optimism as a self-preservation tools
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i would like to hear more about your life philosophies, they have alot of merit
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But for now, I'm going to bed... (I know, it's ridiculously early (especially by your standards, lol), but I stayed up so late that it became early, and then all of a sudden I was waking up at 7am...)
Good night~
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I'll look out for them... thanks for the new suggestions!
Comment by Mountain Fog
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QUOTE ME NO QUOTES!
I have not seen all the films you list here. I would have thought of other more obvious gay films before these choices, although that comment is not meant to detract from the excellence of the films you mention, nor is it a criticism of your right to choose these films, based on your own intuition and interpretation, of course.
Have you seen Federrico Fellini's Satyricon? That should surely make a list, probably every list..hehe!
cheers
fog
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I haven't seen Satyricon, I will look it up shortly, though! I thank you for the compliments on my selection.
Perhaps you should make a Gay Top Ten Film list of your own? It's only fair, since Jason, Morgan and I have had a go at it... and I'm sure that you'll include a number of films neither of us did!
Comment by Mattttt
Though I do very much feel that you have missed some very crucial explicity gay films of recent times. As a cinephile, i feel obliged to tell you what you're missing out on.
But then again, I do acknowledge that your blog is about 'gay themed' and not necessary gay-focused films. Anyhow here is a list of more gay-serious films:
Wong Kar Wai's HAPPY TOGETHER
Ang Lee's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN
Kimberly Pierce's BOYS DON'T CRY
TRANSAMERICA with Academy Award-nominee and deserving winner but was robbed FELICITY HUFFMAN
Gus van Sant's MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO, MILK.
Almodovar's BAD EDUCATION
Todd Haynes' FAR FROM HEAVEN
Stephen Daldry's THE HOURS
Comment by Mattttt
so why do you hate BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN?? with a passion too???
Yeah definitely recheck VOLVER I was so impressed by it and feel that it's Almodovar's most fun, accessible, comedic, 'serious', dynamic film. I found it to be more cohesive than that of ALL ABOUT M M, and TALK TO HER, which are two of his most celebrated recent films.
I highly recommend FAR FROM HEAVEN, I think you'll love it. It's got Julianne Moore and is about her husband's discovery of his homosexuality. It is an homage to the work of 1950s directors Douglas Sirk and Fassbinder.
In addition, also check out Wong Kar-Wai's HAPPY TOGETHER, very "postmodern" with the fast cuts and the disorientated feel.
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Thanks for visiting my blog,
Brokeback Mountain... don't get me started, seriously... suffice to say I don't like the emotional desolation of the narrative (yes, I know that was the point), the poor editing, the lack of experimentation with camera angles, framing or composition. I felt like I was watching flat, inert filmmaking. I also hated the fact that there was so little tenderness between the men (by the time we got the flashback showing them hugging I didn't care about their connection), it wasn't a love story I cared about, and it just reaffirmed the whole image homophobes have that homosexual men 'turn' straight ones from their initial meeting to the sex scene. I also hated the crudeness of said sex scene between the two men. I'm all for tasteful love-making in whatever way, but that just totally turned me off.
I think I've covered most of my concerns... Oh, and I think Annie Proulx should have won the 'Misanthropist of the Year' award. 'Nothing happy happens in Wyoming' indeed. The romance (if we can call it that) was so exaggeratedly doomed that it didn't seem realistic. And, the question remains: Why didn't they just move to San Francisco??? Argh!
Anyway, moving on to happier topics:
I've seen Far From Heaven, and I didn't include it because the main gay protagonist wasn't likable. It was an interesting movie, though, with good acting and it was also lovely to look at.
I wasn't fond of The Hours, it felt like it was trying too hard to be poignant, and the score was overwrought and too ever-present with the 'build-up of tension and action' thing. Sorry, I know I'm not being very articulate, but it's 3am...
I haven't seen Transamerica, I look forward to it, and thanks for reminding me to see Happy Together.
I will put Milk up on my Part 2 list, when there's enough movies I like to put up there... right now I've got I Can't Think Straight and Patrik, age 1.5 (both shown at the Mardi Gras Film Festival this year).
Thank you for your suggestions, and I hope to hear from you again soon...
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Oh yes, there were two films shown at this year's Sydney Queer Film Festival that I really liked - Patrik, 1.5, and I Can't Thnk Straight. Hey, I almost have enough for another list!
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I have seen My Own Private Idaho (good movie, but depressing) and The Hours. I have mentioned that The Hours wasn't my cup of tea before.
I have high hopes for A Single Man, can't wait till it comes out in Aus!
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I agree about The Portrait/Picture of Dorian Gray, and the actor they have cast as Dorian is one of the least good-looking actors I have seen! Don't know what they were thinking. I don't feel like seeing it at all.