Theory of the week: Queer Theory!
Movie of the week: Billy’s Hollywood
Screen Kiss!
Queer Theory?
Queer Cinema has been around for
years but without a proper name until it was first introduced at Toronto Film
Festival in 1991. The concept of Queer Cinema is identified with avant-garde
cinema which re-examined and reviewed the image of homosexuality (same
sex/gender). These films re-evaluated male gazes, subjectivities and so on, by
questioning the pleasure on screen and the celebration of excess, which in turn
results to a subversion of previously considered mainstream genres.
Queer Theory has pushes the
development of Queer Cinema. The theory challenges and further debates on
gender issue and sexuality, which is formally proposed by Feminist Theory. According
to Susan Hayward, Queer Theory is not concern with positive images of queerness
but is assertive about its politics, which suggests us to look things in more
than one way. Thus, sexuality is looked into as multiplicity. In terms of
stereotypes, Queer Theory heightens camp and narcissism.
Queer
Theory seeks to confuse gender and sexual identity by exposing and blurring
their limitations. It exposes the hegemonic homosociality and the hypocrisy of
denial. For instance,
Why is heterosexual is acceptable but
homosexual isn’t?
Why a man/king can enjoy the pleasure of
having 200 women but blame the
woman who have 2 men is a slut?
Straight people is normal, so gay/lesbian
is abnormal?
Why? Who determines it?
Queer Cinema became more visible
with the global traumatizing effects of AIDS, which is the sexually transmitted
disease. Queer Cinema also known as New Queer Cinema. The term is to describe
the renaissance of gay and lesbian filmmaking by the Americans. New Queer
Cinema celebrates and taking pride in difference. However, it has become a male
homosexual cinema that focuses on male desires. Lesbanism remains quite
invisible as it is less portrayed in the cinema. It is important to note that
Queer Cinema is not equal to Gay Cinema, it is just part of it.
Now,
let’s see the 4 approaches in Queer Cinema:
i) Audience
Reception:
Assessing popular
cultural texts that overtly address non-straight
audience, such as homosexual
characters in a narrative film.
ii) Texts that
address straight (heterosexual) audiences
but have gotten appreciation from non-straight audiences
iii) Producers /
Filmmakers who is concerned with non-normative
straightness.
iv) Films,
popular culture texts and readings that articulate spaces outside gender
binaries and sexuality categories, such as outside normative straight
understanding of gender and sexuality or outside orthodox lesbian and gay
understandings.
Some notable films under Queer
Cinema are such as Rope (directed by
Alfred Hitchcock), Swoon (directed by
Tom Kalin), My Own Private Idaho
(directed by Gus Van Sant) and Even
Cowgirls Get the Blues (directed by Gus Van Sant).
All in all, Queer Cinema credits the
value to homosexuality and lesbianism, be it good or bad. New Queer Cinema
revamps the previously heterosexually-confined voices, sexualities and genres.
At the same time, it engages the audiences to connect to the queer or queer
contexts, regardless of racial, cultural and societal boundaries. For the key
aesthetics, it subverts gender and sexual binaries to put the limitations of
the categories into question. Also, it encourages people to reflect on their
surroundings and how it exists and impacts.
Synopsis
Billy is gay photographer who
carries a Polaroid (instant camera). During a meet up with Georgia in coffee shop,
Billy is attracted to the handsome waiter Gabriel. He then bumped into Gabriel
at a party and recruits him to be the model of his project called Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss.
Analysis
In the opening scene before open
credits, Billy’s voice-over straightaway addresses himself as a gay with a
series of polaroids. It’s a story of being a gay and how is a gay’s life.
What thrilled me the most while
watching Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss,
is when Billy can’t control himself but starts touching Gabriel who sleeps
half-naked. This happens when Billy “invites” Gabriel to sleep on his bed since
Billy thinks Gabriel wouldn’t feel comfortable sleeping on the couch as Gabriel’s
leg is too long. Although Gabriel rejects Billy’s offer but later he accepts
it. It’s normal for a guy to take off his shirt while sleeping, so is Gabriel. The lighting is constantly on and off, just like Billy's heart racing for Gabriel but not sure do it or not do it. Billy can’t help but starts to show his affection towards Gabriel with his
gestures on Gabriel. Billy’s intention is clear, Gabriel who looks Billy as a
friend, stop him.
It’s my first time watching a scene like this,
so it’s quite eye-opening to me. But don’t forget, it’s a queer film. Afterall,
it’s just a guy searching for his love.
I like the theme of the film
revolves around homosexual, it’s a big step in film industry to put this issue
as a main topic. Having a few gay characters, a guy who has fantasy over the same sex, discussion of rating themselves as
straight or gay on the Kinsey scale (from 1 to 6, 1 being completely hetero and
6 being completely gay). And for Gabriel, “Gay-briel”? Up for your
interpretation. (No offence to anyone named Gabriel but only this particular character)
Other than that, the drag queen
scenes that appears quite many times. Drag queen refers to male who dresses
femininely. Again, it’s a whole new representation that the film brings us to
discussion. Something we know but we often ignore.
Conclusion
Overall, it’s interesting to explore
Queer Cinema. As the world is now showing more approval towards LGBT, I’m
looking forward to see the future of Queer Cinema.
Reference
1- Film Studies
lecture notes
No comments:
Post a Comment