#5 - Celluloid Closet

I just wasn't paying attention with this one. The subject of After Stonewall isn't obvious unless you've heard about the Stonewall uprising. I had not, so it wasn't clear to me. With Celluloid Closet you have to be paying absolutely no attention to realize that the word "closet" means "gay". As previously stated, I was not paying attention. This is a documentary that chronicles the history of homosexuality in film. Hence the "celluloid". Get it? Just remember....closet means gay.....wardrobe means Christian.

This was a good documentary. It was essentially just a film study, the topic of which was homosexual characters. The history of these characters ranges from foppish and ambiguous characters in early cinema to openly gay characters of more recent film like Philadelphia. In between are drag characters like Tony Randall and Jack Lemon in Some Like it Hot and a period of time when gay characters became more common, but their struggles were about dealing with the sinful feelings they were having. Many good commentaries were given by the performers in these films, as well as film historians, critics and the like.

I was interested in looking for some paralells between the history of the gay rights movements I learned about in After Stonewall, and the films discussed in The Celluloid Closet. To my amazement, there was very little. I came to realize that this was because the films made were not made by, or even for gay people. More often then not, they were made for an audience that wasnt prepared or willing to see a film with an openly gay character. Even if the actors or filmmakers were homosexuals, they were not able to express things completely because it would be bad business. So even as homosexuality became a little more accepted, it was only under certain terms and conditions, therefore, not completely expressed.

Holy crap, whats with all this serious business? I guess sometimes you just can't help it. Anyways, I have figured out the secret to this damn subscription mailing list thing at the bottom of this page. If you want emails when I post new reviews, then subscribe. If not, YOU'RE ON YOUR OWN JACKASS!!! More reviews to come soon....if your lucky.