I watched this movie for the first time in many years on TCM tonight, and really found it to be a first-rate documentary. Yes, some of the people interviewed are more informative than others - Gore Vidal's stories about the creation of *Ben Hur* are perhaps at the top, but others have interesting things to say as well. The range of movies from which the clips were taken is very impressive indeed, and is a tribute to Vito Russo's historical work on the topic, on which this movie was based.
My only objection is that no one and no movie is identified. Yes, they are all listed in the credits at the end. But I really would like to have learned, as I watched it, what movies some of those clips came from, and who some of the interviewees I did not recognize were. Perhaps on the dvd version that omission is rectified?
That notwithstanding, I recommend this movie without reservation for anyone who wants to see how gays and lesbians were portrayed in the first hundred years of American cinema. Yes, I'm sure there is some favorite movie of yours, or movie scene, that is left out. That's inevitable. You can't cover all the movies Russo mentions in one film. Yes, it's unfortunate that there is no sequel to cover Hollywood since 1988, or foreign movies, or tv shows. But those are not faults with what is here, which is very entertaining and informative.
A very well made movie.
My only objection is that no one and no movie is identified. Yes, they are all listed in the credits at the end. But I really would like to have learned, as I watched it, what movies some of those clips came from, and who some of the interviewees I did not recognize were. Perhaps on the dvd version that omission is rectified?
That notwithstanding, I recommend this movie without reservation for anyone who wants to see how gays and lesbians were portrayed in the first hundred years of American cinema. Yes, I'm sure there is some favorite movie of yours, or movie scene, that is left out. That's inevitable. You can't cover all the movies Russo mentions in one film. Yes, it's unfortunate that there is no sequel to cover Hollywood since 1988, or foreign movies, or tv shows. But those are not faults with what is here, which is very entertaining and informative.
A very well made movie.