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The Celluloid Closet

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The Celluloid Closet (1996)

January. 30,1996
|
7.8
|
R
| History Documentary
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This documentary highlights the historical contexts that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have occupied in cinema history, and shows the evolution of the entertainment industry's role in shaping perceptions of LGBT figures. The issues addressed include secrecy – which initially defined homosexuality – as well as the demonization of the homosexual community with the advent of AIDS, and finally the shift toward acceptance and positivity in the modern era.

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BoardChiri
1996/01/30

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

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Chirphymium
1996/01/31

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

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Invaderbank
1996/02/01

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

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Kaelan Mccaffrey
1996/02/02

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

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gavin6942
1996/02/03

A documentary surveying the various Hollywood screen depictions of homosexuals and the attitudes behind them throughout the history of North American film.Even today (2017) when homosexuality is more or less considered normal, this is an impressive documentary. Some of the scenes covered have long been known to be filled with gay subtext. But many others had never occurred to me, and to hear the stars and writers freely speak about them is quite a treat and changes the way a film is approached.Even more amazing, this film came out in 1995, when homosexuality was still not quite mainstream. Growing up in the 1990s, I never found gay themes strange (thanks to such directors as Gregg Araki) but knew it was not socially acceptable. To find the film is based on a much earlier book, which in turn had started as lectures as far back as 1972... wow!

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Tsan4
1996/02/04

The Celluloid Closet gave an in-depth analysis of the compilation of gay films that also provided a broader identification of how the role of homosexuality has progressed. The initial depiction of homosexuality in film best described the future struggle of gays in both society and media. Beginning with the use of homosexual content as a way of humor, the atmosphere was set for the harsh reality of the portrayal of homosexuals in film. The documentary best portrays the ups and downs of how societal view on homosexuality was clearly influenced by film. The documentary highlighted specific clips from films that gave both an educational and entertainment value toward each claim made. The documentary gave clear themes, ideas and thought provoking questions that best described and in some ways shaped the idea of being or appearing homosexual. While the ideas present a clear and logical time line, the content emphasizes the ever-changing identity and perception of homosexuals by their appearance as feminine, villainous, unhappy or even suicidal. Additionally, the analysis of censored gay films also gave an interesting look on how the need to relate to media influences the way people view a movie. Above all, a great effort and successful effort was made in understanding the progression and highlight of homosexual roles in film.

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mjbrody
1996/02/05

This is an excellent documentary, narrated by Lily Tomlin, on queer subtext and gays in American cinema from the 1930s to the 1990s, loosely based on Vito Russo's groundbreaking book (1981, revised edition 1987) of the same name. In it, a wide range of thoughtfully-chosen film clips is paired with director, producer and actor interviews (such as Gore Vidal, Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Armistead Maupin, Tony Curtis, and Whoopi Goldberg). Beyond containing lots of wonderful behind-the-scenes factoids, major issues to queer filmmaking such as coded language, censorship/ratings, the Hayes Codes, and straight/gay actors playing gay are addressed. The only thing one could wish for is a revised/extended film that would include the important gay films made after 1993 or so.

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moonspinner55
1996/02/06

"The Celluloid Closet" doesn't play like a documentary; instead, it's more like an extended installment of "Entertainment Tonight", with funny, bitchy commentary and mostly bright, lively film clips (it doesn't dig too deep). Made in 1995, an extension of the cult book by Vito Russo, the most revealing thing about "The Celluloid Closet" is how little Hollywood's perception of gays has changed in the intervening years (with the exception of "Brokeback Mountain", we still get the proverbial gay best friend, gay co-worker, gay villain). There's been very little growth since on the movie screen, and the film--while insightful--is perhaps too light and non-threatening. Lily Tomlin narrates, with remarks by Quentin Crisp, Susan Sarandon, producer Daniel Melnick (who tells a story about a screening of "Making Love" that is funny and harrowing at the same time), Gore Vidal, Tony Curtis, Tom Hanks and Shirley MacLaine. The early clips are best, showing filmdom's initial acceptance of "the sissy" as a punchline--and in subsequent years as the psychotic--but a few of the movies spotlighted here don't really seem to fit into any gay mold (I never thought of "Rebecca" or "Calamity Jane" as having lesbian overtones). By the '70s, with violence prevalent in movies, it just stood to reason that gays would become the targets, and scenes from "Freebie and the Bean" and "Cruising" are just sad examples of human ignorance (yet many ironies aren't pointed out; the fact that William Friedkin, who made the landmark "The Boys in the Band", was also responsible for "Cruising" isn't acknowledged). The filmmakers aren't shallow, but they tiptoe carefully through Hollywood history, walking on eggshells, and when they run out of relevant sequences they resort to showing the same old stuff. Still, there are several pointed passages here, and comments worth savoring, but perhaps an updated version is now due. **1/2 from ****

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