Theresa C, Post 9

Theresa Chu

1. Even today, many forces come into play in regards to the content contained in movies whether they are wars, social standards, or newly enacted and existing laws. Gay images and how they portray homosexuals have changed throughout film history because of many of these same forces. During the Depression in the 1930s, because people did not have enough money for food, let alone movies, directors would try and incorporate something so outrageous in their films that people would forgo food for entertainment; for example, in 1932, Cecil B. DeMille’s The Sign of the Cross premiered and became one of the most controversial films of the era due to a “lesbian dance” during an orgy. Despite the homoerotic nature of the film, swarms of people bought tickets to view it in almost rock-bottom stage of the Depression. According to Barrios, homosexual images would reach their apex at this time: “The year 1933 would be the peak of the movie’s version of the pansy craze: the gay and lesbian characters in 1933 films were made increasingly more conspicuous, more titillating, more forward” (96).
   While the Depression era saw an increase in gay and lesbian images onscreen, the onset of World War II saw openness in homosexuality diminish both in reality and on film (146). Although Barrios asserts that the time between 1935 and 1940 was “not the most active time for gays and lesbians on film,… in some ways they are the most evocative” (146). At this time, the Code set by the PCA was already established and running. Because of this, movie directors had to be “sneaky” in portraying homosexuality, also referred to as “sex perversion” (147). In the Bride of Frankenstein, for example, while the “Breen folk” were busy analyzing the excess amount of skin exposure and violence, James Whale inserted “subtle elements and allusions that would waft past” the PCA (150). This demonstrates how directors could bypass the Code and intentionally alter perceived images of homosexuals. Actors, such as Franklin Pangborn and Edward Everett Horton, also “knew exactly what they were doing” when it came to acting onscreen and representing homosexuals: “They were still adept at letting aspects of their identity show through in their work in an unmistakable yet safe way” (147).
2. Throughout various time periods, the messages portrayed in films in regards to homosexuality have changed dramatically. Adorno states in his article that “society is always the winner, and the individual is only a puppet manipulated through social rules” (220). It is apparent, then, that the way in which gay individuals were treated changed throughout history due to societal and historical forces, and this could be seen in films that were created during these various time periods.
   Towards the beginning of film history, actors in the silent films had to exaggerate all their movements, for there was no sound that could detail the scene. If a character was gay, his movements as well as his clothing would be obviously queer; for example, in Algie, the Miner, the way Algie dresses and interacts with other characters suggests that he has undeniable gay tendencies: “the dandified air, fluttering hands, pursed and apparently rouged lips, sly smile, and eyes that he bats while fondling the barrel of pistol” (Barrios, 17). After sound was introduced in film, a slew of movies containing homosexual characters premiered. Many of these movies contained lesbian characters (Repressed Mannish Spinster) that were “severely tailored” and “unawakened by the love of the right man” (Barrios, 33). Movie musicals were also a popular arena for showcasing gay characters; for example, in The Broadway Melody, Del Turpe, the queer costume designer, is shown having numerous spats with other characters mostly due to his personality stemming from his sexual orientation: “gush[ing],” “simper[ing],” and finally “giggl[ing]” (Barrios, 38). Throughout these films during the 1920s, although they were unusual, gay characters were still shown to be able to integrate into society and have a life: “Surely this did not imply widespread acceptance… but the generally positive nature of the characters needs to be emphasized, especially when compared with the horrors in store when gays became visible in cinemas once again three and more decades later” (Barrios, 43).
   Beginning from 1935 up to the 1960s, however, the open depiction of homosexuals had been “toned down” and became “far less acceptable” (Barrios, 147). The Production Code was already established at this time, and it banned homosexuality at the movies. Although directors found ways to get past the regulations, open gayness generally decreased both in film and in reality. It was during this time that gays were starting to be persecuted; moreover, evidence of this can be found in many films that debuted at this time. In Tea and Sympathy, Tom is wrongly accused of being a homosexual simply because he knows how to sew and clean his room. Due to this assumption, Tom is ridiculed and made an outcast. The reason why the views on homosexuality changed at this time may have been because of the onset of World War II. Many would argue that WWII actually encouraged the idea of homosexuality because the men were off together at war while the women remained at home; however, this does not prove to be the case, for homosexuals were indeed victims of hate crimes and discrimination.
   In the early 1960s, things began to shift. Barrios refers to Geoffrey Shurlock in saying that “the Code ban on homosexuality was even more outdated than the Code itself” and that the Code was “likely to change” (299). It was at this time that gayness became a bit more open in film; moreover, there was an amendment made to the Code in 1961 that would allow Lolita to be filmed and shown to the public: “In keeping with the culture, the mores and values of our time, homosexuality and other sexual aberrations may now be treated with care, discretion and restraint” (Barrios, 303). Even though this amendment opened doors for other films during this decade, the homosexuality being shown in the films were usually detailed in a negative light: “…through fear and ignorance and a penny-mongering philosophy, the movie people made gayness to seem more irrelevant and unappealing than ever… For gay and lesbian spectators, going to the movies in 1962 and afterward would be like playing a game of dodgeball. They would strive to glean whatever good they could from the projected images, while attempting to avoid the negativity being hurled at them” (Barrios, 316).
   Despite this game of “dodgeball,” Barrios gives many historical events that allowed homosexuality to become more accepted including “a war, a civil rights movement,…new people less willing to hide or defer,… dealing with [homosexuality] as a condition instead of a disease,” and feminist movement (336). In 1968, film found “newfound freedom” (Barrios, 340) in its ability to portray homosexuality “openly.” Independent films, such as Flesh and Trash, made sex seem cool which downplayed the scandal of homosexuality. Gay images in film will continue to be controversial; however, we cannot escape the fact that homosexuality does exist and that it is playing a gradually growing role in society: “Despite the setbacks and the opaque corporate minds, gays and lesbians will continue to find their way into the movies, on and behind the screen. In the controversy over homosexuality, differences will matter less and less as more and more people see it in the movies and in their lives” (Barrios, 365).
3. In Notes on a Scandal, an older female fellow co-worker at a school develops what appears to be lesbian crush on a newly-hired, young art teacher. Because of her desires, she becomes obsessed with the young art teacher and begins to stalk her every move. The novel and film portrays lesbianism in a negative light, for it demonstrates how one can get so wrapped up in “wrong” yearnings that one would risk everything, including the livelihoods of others, to have something unattainable. The older teacher is described as a loner who lives with her only friend: her cat. In her past, she was also known to have been obsessed with another female co-worker only to feel “betrayed” when her co-worker revealed that she would be married soon. This film and novel can be seen as art, for it does not conform to old or recent popular story lines. Knowing this, Notes on a Scandal and the message it discloses is more shocking to spectators, for it is unexpected. In The Celluloid Closet, one interviewee says, “Visibility at any cost.” Homosexuals, in their thirst for representation, are happy with whatever screen time they get, for they are hardly spoken for in society.

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On another note, this picture of Ellen Degeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi is an example of a positive image. Both women are successful in the entertainment industry, and their lives appear to be in order. They can be seen as culture industry products because, homosexuality aside, they conform to societal standards. Portia de Rossi portrays straight women in film, and Ellen Degeneres has her own talk show in which she addresses the same issues as talk shows of straight women, such as Tyra Banks. This context may affect their message in that it shows how homosexuals can be integrated and accepted into society as well as the fact that homosexuals are just like straight people with their emotions as well as their likes and dislikes.

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