The Circle" is a biopic unlike any other. It is the story of Ernst
and Robi, two gay men who met in 1950's Zurich. Ernst was a teacher and
Robi a cabaret artist who performed in drag. They became lovers and are
still together today. In the film they are played by Matthias
Hungerbuhler, (Ernst), and Sven Schelker, (Robi), but the real Ernst and
Robi, now old men, also appear on camera, along with other real-life
personalities from the period, talking about themselves and their lives
together. They are wonderful people and are an inspiration to us all.
Of
course, "The Circle" is a biopic of a different kind. The title refers
both to the magazine they worked on as well as to the circle of gay men
who had to live their lives in secret, not for fear of prosecution,
(homosexuality was not illegal in Switzerland), but for fear of how they
might be treated by the police and the State which was often just short
of what it might have been under the Nazis, and once exposed they
risked losing everything, not least their lives. At first the lack of
laws prohibiting homosexuality meant that Zurich was something of a
haven for gay men, not just from Switzerland, but also from Germany and
other neighbouring countries, but when homosexuals began to be murdered
by rent boys, and the courts worked it so that the killer would become
the victim and vice versa, things began to change for the worse.
Stefan
Haupt's film is a tribute to what was fundamentally a gay rights
movement long before anyone coined the phrase, at times funny and often
very sad, (not everyone's life had a happy ending), but ultimately
hugely uplifting, and it is beautifully made. Indeed, as 'historical'
gay films go this is one of the best and it shouldn't be missed.
The films reviewed here represent those I have liked or loved over the years. It is not a list of my favourite films but all the films reviewed here are worth seeing and worth seeking out. I know many of you won't agree with me on a lot of these but hopefully you will grant me, and the films that appear here, our place in the sun. Thanks for reading.
Monday, 10 June 2019
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
JUROR #2
If "Juror #2" turns out to be the last film Clint Eastwood makes, (quite possible since the man is 94 now), at least he will have...
-
Having made two films on the essence of cinema or at least on the filmmaker's craft, (her own), Joanna Hogg has now turned her attentio...
-
You know that a Lars von Trier serial killer movie is unlikely to be like anyone else's serial killer movie; that it is most likely t...
No comments:
Post a Comment