CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Rio Hayward All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Stephan Hammond It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

dglink An excellent documentary that chronicles the depiction of homosexuality in the movies during the 20th century, "The Celluloid Closet" was produced and directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman. Based on a book by Vito Russo, the film begins with Edison's pioneering film of two men dancing and moves into the increasingly frank depiction of sex during the pre-code era. During the 1930's and 40's, after the Motion Picture Code was in place, writers and directors slyly and cleverly developed veiled references to communicate forbidden topics to their audiences; these clips are perhaps the most fascinating and include: Mrs. Danvers stroking Rebecca's lingerie in "Rebecca;" Peter Lorre smelling of gardenias in "The Maltese Falcon;" the murderous lovers in "Rope;" Sal Mineo's worship of James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause;" and John Ireland and Montgomery Clift comparing guns in "Red River."The pre-production code clips are rare and equally fascinating. While several are obvious and direct references to gays, the film does makes some stretches; not every instance of cross dressing or same sex dancing can be construed as indicating homosexuality. One commentator notes: "when a man dresses as a woman, everyone laughs, when a woman dresses as a man, nobody laughs." Chaplin's drag is intended to be comic, while Dietrich's intentions are purposefully ambiguous. However, the obvious swishing, effeminacy, sissies, and allusions to the color lavender are unmistakable hints to a knowing audience. Although Edward Everett Horton is mentioned and shown during the discussion of film sissies, such other gay "Stepin Fetchits" as Franklin Pangborn and Eddie Cantor are left unmentioned.When the Production Code lost its bite in the late 1950's and early 1960's with the release of "Suddenly Last Summer," "Victim," and "The Children's Hour," the documentary takes a turn. While the closet door had opened, gay people were increasing depicted as psychopathic villains in such films as "Cruising" or pitiful victims of their own degeneracy in "The Detective" and "Advise and Consent." Unfortunately, the one film that depicted a happy ending for male lovers, 1987's "Maurice," was overlooked. Even some harmless comedies such as "The Gay Deceivers" are not mentioned, while the sleazy gay muggers in "The Vanishing Point" are shown. Positive depictions of gays did appear in movies during the late 20th century, but "The Celluloid Closet" chose to omit them and dwell far too long on the negatives.However, the film has a fine narration by Lily Tomlin, and such commentators as Harvey Fierstein, Armistead Maupin, Quentin Crisp, Whoopi Goldberg, Gore Vidal and others share their thoughts, memories, and feelings watching gays in the movies and seeking subtle hints in films that suggested they were not alone. Some of the most insightful comments come from film historian Richard Dyer and writer Susie Bright, and the music by Carter Burwell is a major asset. Despite too much focus on the negative depiction of homosexuals in the movies, "The Celluloid Closet" is nevertheless essential viewing for film buffs, gay or straight. Particularly interesting are the early pre-code clips, the sly gay references inserted to circumvent the production code, and the insightful commentaries from a bevy of straight and gay writers, actors, and historians. Even with a few blemishes, "The Celluloid Closet" is matchless cinema history.

arfdawg-1 A comprehensive documentary of the history of gays and lesbians in cinema, from negative to positive reflections of gay characters and the troubles of actors and actresses.What proposes to be a documentary is actually a propaganda piece that only goes to show you how gay lifestyle and the gay agenda has infiltrated the entertainment business.You are left with the feeling that no one in Hollywood is straight.And maybe they are not.The very beginning is a wee bit interesting but then the movie gets bogged down proselytizing an whining about gays in the cinema as if nothing could be right by them. Get over yourselves.Oh and they made Thelma and Louise gay! Huh? Didn't the two of them do Brad Pitt?And therein lies the problem with the movie. The movement is so desperate to be relevant everyone is gay.What a yawn.

hcandelario "The Celluloid Closet", released in 1995, gives a keen insight into the history of homosexuals depicted in the art of film. This documentary has a great set up of commentators. They are all qualified to be speaking on the subject matter. Names and job descriptions are all given in the documentary. A younger audience can even recognize commentators such as Whoopi Goldberg and Tom Hanks. There is a sneak peek into the political influence on film production. The classic movie "Ben-Hur" released in 1959 and directed by William Wyler, is just one of the examples given for film with underlying homosexual influences. This justifies the use of "Closet" in the title. In many of the films used in the documentary the sexuality of the characters is not directly addressed, but none the less evident after watching "The Celluloid Closet". The documentary follows the changing social views of sexuality and what is acceptable chronologically, all the way from black and white films to colored films. Watching this documentary is sure to enlighten the viewer, and would be helpful to all who would like to have a better understanding of homosexuality in relation to films and film production. While being very informative the documentary is also enjoyable and engaging.

natwon93 The Celluloid Closet was a film that documented the use of homosexual characters in the world of Hollywood. Clips from films with LGBTQ characters, actors and writers of those movies, and current actors and actresses were all used to help display the history of the progression of homosexual characters in movies. The documentary was shown in chronological order, from the 1930s to the early 1990s, emphasizing the stereotypical and sometimes unfair to normal ways in which homosexuals were portrayed. The commentary from the actors, actresses, and actors provided an entertainment and informative factor that kept the audience attentive to the subject of the documentary. It was interesting to see how in the films, LGBTQ had transitioned from light hearted humorous characters, to stereotypical sissies, to villainous individuals suffering from some sort of mental illness. Hollywood has such an effect to the everyday life that many individuals in Presbyterian Church called for a reform on the homosexual exposure in films. The Hays Codes being enforced and the amount of censorship that had to be enforced in movies made directing a film with a homosexual character in it much more difficult. The coded language and subtle movements by the actors portraying the LGBTQ characters made it clear to audiences that there was homosexual exposure in the film, just not so obvious. This film is highly recommended for it brings new knowledge of the film world to light, in regards to the issue of homosexuality. It also depicts a clear representation of how the values of different eras change drastically throughout time. Because the documentary was made in the early 1990s, it would be interesting to see how the commentators view LGBTQ characters in film today.