I found Dmetri Kakmi's article, Queer Cinema: A Reality Check, to be a little harsh and refreshing at the same. He is definitely anti-Vito Russo and calls the Celluloid Closet overrated (wich I don't agree with) but the article is full of insightful comments surprisingly. While watching the documentary I found myself waiting for Quentin Crisp's commentary because it was so simplistically true. My favorite part was when he talks about his mother taking him to see silent films and telling him that they were nothing like real life. He goes on to say that his mother was completely wrong because when everyone returns back to England from America the first thing they say is, "It is more like the movies than you could ever dream". Our culture today was created upon Hollywood's morals and depictions of life, but American's are the ones who say they hate it. This IS our culture oddly enough. Our aesthetic is about remaking and recreating other cultures, societies, people, and anything else. We hate what we make and I feel like our culture makes a genre out of that mindset, hence articles such as Kakmi's and documentaries like the Celluloid Closet.
If this documentary was released in 2010 it would have a much greater impact in both positive and negative ways. The positive aspects would be influencing filmmakers to create characters that can stand on their own, not relying on the innuendoes to explain a person's role. I think this information is definitely something everyone should watch because not everyone has thought about this controversial issue. If it were released in 2010 there would be a much greater chance of attaining more viewers because we are so technologically advanced. I think these advances also allow more room for the negative aspects, which are less than the positive but are still present nonetheless. More publicity and easier access creates a pedestal for harsh critics.
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