Date: Sun, 15 Sep 1996 06:34:28 -0400 (edt) From: Sam Damon Subject: Desire - movie about gays in Nazi Germany > As the jew's were persecuted, so were the gay people of Germany. I have > never seen a movie on the the persecuted gay's, but there should be one > in my opinion. There have been several films about the persecution of gays in Nazi Germany, and several more on gays under Fascism, although most of the these latter movies are Italian. (look in your snailmail box in a week or two )... The best documentary is probably "Desire" (Great Britain, 1989, 88 mins), available for rent in many video stores. Both the NY Times and gay film critic Vito Russo, writing for the Advocate, gave great reviews; Russo equated it with the classic gay documentary, "Before Stonewall." The video's box writes, "A thriving gay culture, as shown in the film 'Cabaret,' emerged in Berlin during the heady years following World War I, and it seemed that homosexuals might, at last, be moving toward acceptance by the culture at large. The early signs of a conservative backlash, ignored by many, grew with the increasing strength of the Nazi party. Eventually, these early warnings eveolved into official policies advocating the oppression and ultimate elimination of all homosexuals. Stuart Marshall makes a complated issue clear with film archive film and photographs, and through interviews with women and men who survived Nazi oppression. Their stories of strength and survival contribute to the film's ultimate effect -- which, perhaps surprisingly, is one of empowerment, enrichment and inspiration." A 25 yr old gay German friend of mine who was here for several months thought it was very well-made. Although he's been out even before age 10 and is very much involved in gay culture, he told me that the film showed him things he never knew. Josef is so out that he watched the video (as well as more explicit non-porn ones) in our medical school's library without giving it a second thought. My trepidation stemmed from the fact that the equipment is meant for medical videos (i.e. footage of surgery), and because at least one of the librarians is homophobic. For a fictional account, watch "Different From the Others (Anders als die Andern)", a German silent from 1919. Although the story is more about homophobia and blackmail than German politics, Vito Russo's comments tell us that the original film ended with a scene where gay luminaries throughout history march before the screen while Germany's homophobic Paragraph 175 of its penal code is dissolved. Unfortunately, the complete film was destroyed as homophobic Nazis destroyed homophobic archives by fire. Much of it is intact however and can be seen on some PBS stations. Alternatively, I have a copy. For more comments on this, see my other message re: "Nosferatu" and "Different from the Others." Also great is the 1977 Italian-Canadian movie, "A Special Day," directed by Ettore Scola (Italian with subtitles). It stars the radiant Sophia Loren, who plays a downtrodden housewife, and Marcello Mastroianni as a man to be deported for his homosexuality. The story takes place on the special day when Hitler comes to Fascist Italy for a visit. By chance, Loren, who is left behind by her family to attend the rally, meets Mastroianni, who is packing for his deportation. The story depicts the few hours of their friendship, before he is led away and before her family returns for the evening. Although I was only 11 at the time, I was mesmerized by this movie when shown on our PBS station. I simply could not understand why he was persecuted simply because he loved men. Needless to say, the movie had a great impact on me. I think it, along with 1985's "Consenting Adult," had the greatest influence on why I'm so involved with gay culture and politics. It is one of the most understated movies I have ever seen -- some might even say slow and boring -- but for those who have experienced the loneliness and isolation that the two protagonists felt, this movie packs more wallop than any action shoot 'em picture. Unfortunately, my sources tell me that the video is out of print, although you may still find it in some video stores. My copy is somewhere in my apartment but I can't seem to find it...