In fact, the main purpose of writing this inventory is to fulfill the promise to a time friend, who previously hoped that I could write one
The inventory of gay films, I said wait for the opportunity to write, but after saying that, it will not be over. He brought it up again the other day.
Joke said that I still owe him an inventory of gay films, and my persistent attitude made me ashamed, so I finally decided to write this inventory, and these ten classic films have no shortage of classic line dialogue.
Although I have never looked for gay films as a film type, I have listed the list of gay films I have watched and found that I have watched a lot over the years. In summary, it is found that the gay films that have been seen can basically be divided into two categories: one is the gay films shot by famous directors, and the other is the gay films that have won awards at famous film festivals, in other words, they are all gay films recognized by mainstream film fans.
Why do many gay films have a unique appeal and will be highly recognized among so many non-gay fans? This is a question worth exploring. An important reason is, of course, because of the human yearning for and resonance with all good love, whether it is between the opposite sex or between the same sex; another reason for non-gay fans may be because in this genre it puts the emotional entanglements that we are common in the opposite sex and have become numb, and the contrast formed by this makes us re-examine what we ignore.
The ten films selected here are mainly old films, and only one film after 2000. The film's directorial cast is absolutely gorgeous – Visconti, Nagisa Oshima, Almodóvar, James Ivory, Gus Van Sant, Andrea Tessine, Ang Lee... Many people may think that this list is too dull and too literary, and high-profile films such as "Philadelphia Story" and "Velvet Goldmine" and "Milk" and "Single Man" have not appeared in the past two years. The reason is because this is my private list after all, reflecting my personal viewing tastes, naturally it is for reference only.
(The serial number represents the order of release, not the ranking)
1 Soul Break Venice Seath in Venice (1971) Directed by Lucino Visconti
The Soul Breaks Venice is based on the novel of the same name by the famous German writer Thomas Mann, which is said to be based on the famous Austrian composer and conductor Gustav Mahler.
This is an artist's film on the theme of life - love and beauty, an old artist who gradually becomes fragile and fearful in the face of the passage of time, and one day suddenly discovers youth and beauty in a young man with a beautiful face like a Greek statue, so the moth is obsessed with him like a fire, until he is buried in Venice shrouded in cholera. The beautiful teenager saved the artist's sense of life, and also sent him to the limit of struggle, becoming the fuse of his burning life. In his later years, Visconti used elegant, static, and lengthy shots to give emotions to the flowing moments of the story.
2 Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence on the Battlefield (1983) Directed by Nagisa Oshima
Personal Brief Comments:
The military and the prison (in this film, the prisoner of war) are probably the most homosexual places, and this film has both. Although this film is a war-themed film, the war is only a background, the work is about the confrontation between british prisoners and the Japanese army in the Japanese prisoner shelter and the intricate homosexual love, showing the scarred humanitarian spirit and the entanglement of same-sex lust.
Ryuichi Sakamoto, who debuted on the screen, not only gave a superb performance, but also created a theme song of the same name for this film, which has also become a classic - the tragic sense of fate that life can never choose is flowing in the beautiful piano tone, the pure pursuit and reticence of human nature, the entanglement and denial of strange lust, the blindness and avoidance of the belief in truth...
3 Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985) Directed by Hector Babbank
Adapted from the novel of the same name by Argentine writer Manuel Puig, the film is about two men who live in a prison room and have very different personalities and worldviews, and gradually become understanding and sympathetic with each other after a long time together, and develop a deep relationship of intersecting with their lives. Although most of the film takes place in a small local cell, it presents a literary magnificence because of the excellent script and excellent actors, and the director uses a variety of elements to express the strong contrast between the protagonist's magical imagination and the bloody cruelty of the dark prison. The film's lead actor, William Hurt, won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film.
4 Law of Desire (1987) Directed by Pedro Almodóvar
What director in the world can make a film with homosexuality, transgender people, incest, murder and other gimmicks to make the pulse warm? There is only one answer, and that is Almodóvar. In this film, Almodóvar portrays the love triangle between men as extremely dramatic and meticulous, and he uses a master's hand to sublimate desire to a height of consistency - in the face of love, regardless of the opposite sex, the law of desire is consistent.
5 Maurice's lover Maurice (1987) Directed by James Ivory
The film is adapted from the autobiographical novel of the same name by the famous British writer Edward Morgan Foster, which caused a great sensation when it was released that year. The film won the Silver Lion For Best Picture at the 44th Venice Film Festival, and the two male lead actors James Wilby and Hugh Grant won the Best Actor award.
For the gay theme, I have always felt that probably only oriental directors, like Ang Lee, will shoot so delicately, euphemistically, and sentimentally, and will pay more attention to the portrayal of inner emotions, rather than the catharsis of forbidden lust. But I didn't expect that as early as 1987, the American director James Ivory had already done this. The admiration of each other on the beautiful Cambridge campus, the soft language and warmth, to the loyalty and betrayal of feelings when facing external pressure after stepping into society, the director's delicate, romantic and sentimental brushstrokes, coupled with the wonderful interpretation of the actors, together present a forbidden love affair in British society.
6 My Own Private Idaho (1991) Directed by Gus Van Sant
I have to say that this film is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Although the director uses a brisk tone to express it, it is not an easy film. The film uses a variety of modern expression methods to express fragmented life and feelings, such as symbols, suggestions, monologues, dreams and reality, the intersection of time and space, and multi-voice choruses. And the lead actor, River Phoenix, has created the most affectionate and tragic and infinitely deplorable teenager in the history of cinema.
In the film, Mike says to Scott by the fire: For me, I could love someone even if I, you know, wasn't paid for it... I love you, and... You don't pay me. I love you and you don't have to pay me. Seeing this, are you deeply moved in front of the screen?
7 The Adventures of Priscilla (1994) Directed by Stephen Elliott
The film was well known, but I watched it very late. The reason is that after seeing the posters and some stills of this film, I think it is a vulgar movie. But after finally looking at it, the previous self-righteous prejudice was swept away. The film follows three men (two transvestite homosexuals and a transgender) on their way to a small desert town in a big bus to perform. The stoicism and courage they showed in the face of all kinds of difficulties during their journey, that sense of humor, and that love for life made the barren desert on the way seem to be full of life.
The most shocking thing in the film is the harm inflicted on them by some hostile residents along the way. Fang Long's "Tolerance" has been circulated for more than half a century and has become a well-known classic, but there are still too many people in our society who do not know tolerance, and for those who are gay, we can choose not to approve, but we should never inflict malicious harm on them - because their hearts may have more confusion and anxiety, and they also desire to love and be loved.
8 Wild Reeds Les Roseaux sauvages (1994) Directed by Andrea Tessine
If you think that films such as "Blue Gate" and "Midsummer Lightyear" are extremely successful in portraying the confusion of adolescent teenagers who swing between the same sex and the opposite sex, then you must check out this film. Because in this regard, the French did far better and earlier.
In fact, it is difficult to shoot new ideas and sharp perspectives on the subjects that express the vitality and distress of teenagers, but the French director Tessine accurately grasps the psychology of young people's sexual confusion and the fluctuating feelings of men and women, turns complex love affairs into the impulse to seek knowledge, and expresses the emotions between students pure rather than vulgar, ambiguous but full of sincerity.
9 Wilde Wilde (1997) Directed by Brian Gilbert
Based on Wilde's life, the film brings his homosexual experience to the screen, and dissects in detail the thought process of Wilde's bizarre love affair, while also showing Wilde's legendary life. In this film, Jude Lowe portrays the most handsome and uninhibited little lover of his acting career.
Wilde - a dazzling meteor across the sky, a beautyist who has been abandoned and reviled by the world. Many people think that Wilde is a madman who pursues "aberrant love", a fool who burns himself for love. But he was not a madman, an unruly heart beating beneath his gentle, elegant surface; he was not a fool, he knew what he wanted, he died for love. In fact, Wilde did not fall in love with his lover, he just fell in love with beauty, or beautiful love, which was an extreme desire for beauty and romance.
10 Brokeback Mountain Brookback Mountain (2005) Director: Ang Lee
Have any fans of time not seen this movie? The film is so classic, so popular, so many awards, so many reviews, that I have no idea what to write about here. Simply from "brokeback" to synonymous with "gay" and a pop culture symbol, you can see how successful Ang Lee's film is.
Here's a quote from the BBC: Ang Lee is not shy about talking about sex, in fact, the passion between the two lovers is shocking... This story of love expresses something essential in human nature, both naturally burning and beautiful and delicate.