Straight Guy,I took in Brideshead Revisited on Friday. No surprise there. I am a sucker for those Masterpiece Theatre-type flicks. Or, as I call them, "hat movies."
For the review: It's okay. Definitely moves the story along. Lots of eye candy, too: Boys, girls, delicate features, Fair Isle sweaters, location shots. Just like the 1982 Brideshead BBC miniseries on PBS. But this time, I realized the story is about religion, dogmatism, and time. In 1982, my brain never got past the story of the intimacy between Charles and Sebastian. Heck, the series could have ended at part 2 (out of 11), when Charles's affections moved on to Sebastian's sister, Julia.
I don't think I can begin to make you understand how seductive and spellbinding the miniseries was in 1982, especially to a young gay man. It had everything: The dreamy spires of Oxford, history, class, and every kind of beauty -- words, looks, architecture, music, misty fields, tuxedos worn at dinner. It was probably the first time I saw intimacy between men -- whether it was romantic, sexual, or intense friendship -- on screen. I know it was the first bare male ass shot I ever saw on TV. Plus, Jeremy Irons (whose career took off because of Brideshead) and his languid, dripping, world weary voice.
The film has a really limited view of how to play gay on film, but go see it. But, it's not the miniseries. Just like Revisited tells you, even if you can, you shouldn't go home again.
--Gay Guy
1 comment:
To each his own, Gay Guy. This was about the same time that Raiders of the Lost Ark was released, the most "seductive and spellbinding" film I had ever seen. It had everything: history, architecture, misty jungles, sinister monkeys, and exploding heads.
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