Friday, June 29, 2012
FIRST
Today's gay film was
This film came out in 1974 just about the time that I did.
It was epic at the time and it is still one of the best gay relationship films ever made. It is factual, honest and realistic. Not all the same thing.
A gay man resigns as a monk and moves to NYC to start a life. He does OK and meets a man with whom he falls in love and they move in together. The expectations are not reciprocal. One wants to be less romantic and free to roam. An open relationship. The other, our hero, wants it all. Monogamous. It doesn't work very well.
Later our hero meets another man with whom he falls in love and this time learns from his lessons.
Bare bones, this.
But the gay life we see, the sex, the dynamics of the relationship are right on.
There is a lot to be seen and appreciated here.
John and I both saw the film. Not together. We had not met yet. But I am sure that it was quite influential on our own expectations and outlook. And its optimistic and happy tone encouraged us.
I am sure there had never been a film like this done before. Much of it goes beyond what we would see in many films today. The loving. The bar and bath scenes.
At the time it was near scandalous and the theater was swamped with a huge audience.
The film had a 25th anniversary edition on DVD and it got refurbished some.
I was so happy to see it again.
One other thing. It is a pre-HIV movie. No one knew what was coming. That alone makes it an historic document. Interspersed are scenes from gay pride in NYC. That is where our hero meets his second lover. An intentional context I am sure.
This is a sure 5 out of Netflix5.
The beach scene on the cover is a classic icon. The trailer is a little cheesy but I will show it anyway.
