esrosedotblog

REVENGE FANTASY

Today's film was the Canadian

Les Felurettes / Lilies (1997)

Our Toronto friend gave us this film a few years ago. It survived the cut when we moved and so I figured that I would bring it "out" again. So to speak.

This is a high powered drama set in a prison. An RC Bishop thinking he is to hear a confession is duped into witnessing a play put on by the prisoners. The play is about a critical period in the bishop's life, a period he would rather forget.

The play by the prisoners in an amateur setting gives way to a film. It opens up before our eyes. Very clever.

From time to time we are brought back into the "real" situation. The prisoners are prisoners, the bishop is the bishop, we are in the prison chapel.

Levels. Film-play-real-play-film.

The characters are all men so there is cross dressing. Don't run away. It works very well. Think Greek drama. Not Hasty Pudding.

The incident involves a love affair between the confessee and another young man. The bishop, as a young man, basically deceives and betrays the other two with dire consequences.

It may sound over wrought and, to an extent, it is. Drag, homos, fantastic representations from the turn of the century. The last one.

Amazingly it all works. Not much of it rings false. Because it is fantastic, it enfolds the entire presentation into a dramatic whole that is quite unique.

The young men are beautiful, idealized in the telling. The story of young love is universal not specifically "gay".

I am reminded that there was no such thing as "gay" then and the word "homosexual" had just been invented. Love was love. Men did it as well as men and women. Sex was not always involved. In a weird way, it seems a much freer time but, of course, it was not.

This film is a thought piece. Its memory lingers.

I obviously liked it enough to keep it and to see it again. I have to admit that it got into the viewing mix from my standby DVDs because of a bump in the Netflix mailing queue so it doesn't really get a 5. But it is a healthy 4. If I was to rent it.

Labels: films