I found the article quite insightful, already knowing that gay cinema existed but not to this extent or contextual background. While reading i noticed Ben talking about gay directors and their previous films, none of which i had ever heard of, but why would i? which also made me realize just how much gay cinema has been overshadowed and in some ways stereotyped, with this article expanding more from the point with break out directors raising the bar further and producing films with story-line with more than the typical bullied, shunned from society plot.
Starting off with an insight of Ira Sach's new film 'Keep the Lights On' and a little insight into it; apparently it follows the decade-long relationship between two men who meet on a New York phone-sex line in 1998. Showing everything in the same fluid, elegant transparency.
'i feel very few films convey the communal nature of urban life these days, the lack of boundaries," Sachs says. "Those are the gays over there' - that's not how we live any more."i felt that this statement was a revelation on how people's views has changed and how even though some people still do stereotype homosexuals we on a community on a whole have some what developed from our prejudice thoughts.
Following on, Ben goes on to talk about Keep the Lights On... describing the recent features of gay film characters by gay directors, deploying naturalism (which i felt meant after researching the word that in this context meant a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail.) using examples such as - shooting handheld in found locations and using performances that smack of improvisation - to tell a story rooted in psychological specificity? (confused on this clause, i felt that it might mean the mentally and emotional state of a person / that solves the psychological part but the specificity? could be the planned out state of the mind arising or affecting it?? )
Continuing on, he introduces another director Andrew Haigh and his film 'Weekend' and how he too used a similar approach with it's story of two guys hanging out after meeting in a club. Also introducing Travis Matthews and is upcoming 'I Want Your Love ' that explores an artist's social group, describing it a powerful mode that represents a welcome shift in queer cinema - an embrace of the real. (mode? movie perhaps? that's how i took it in.)
I found that the article offered insight into how changing social contexts impact on the content of films today. Indeed achieving the goal of 'Expanding my mind.'
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2012/oct/04/new-wave-gay-cinema
No comments:
Post a Comment