Torch Song Trilogy (1988)

Torch Song Trilogy (1988)

Director: Paul Bogart 
Writers: Harvey Fierstein (play),
Harvey Fierstein
Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy
Country: USA 
Language: English 
Duration: 120 min
Stars: Anne Bancroft, Matthew Broderick and Harvey Fierstein

Torch Song Trilogy je prvi film sa gay tematikom koji sam gledao. Podsjetio me na ta vremena 87-88. godine.
Odkad znam za sebe živim i krećem se u nazovi macho društvu. Takav mi je i posao.Feminiziranost naprosto nije dio mene niti okruženja u kojem živim. A u mom slučaju zbog straha da me neko ne "provali" uvjek sam morao biti i jači i obrazovaniji i naravno mnogo muškiji nego drugi. Zato me mnogi pederi startuju i nadaju se da ću ih dobro "opaliti". Na njihovu žalost rijetko se dešava da ja to zaista i želim.
Jedno je spoljašni izgled , a sasvim drugo ono što želimo.
A u ovoj priči je nešto sasvim obrnuto. Arnold je feminizirani lik koji zna šta hoće i to ne krije. Poštujem taj stav, a da li je teže na moj način ili njegov prosudite sami. U svakom slučaju niti je Arnold veći muškarac od mene , niti ja od njega. Obadvojica smo jaki, uporni, nepokolebljivi i istrajni, bez obzira što smo izgledomi ponašanje potpuno drugačiji.

Ovaj film je nastao na osnovu istoimene Brodwayske predstave Harvey Fiersteina, dobitnika prestižne Pulitzerove nagrade za stvaralaštvo na daskama koje živoz znače. Nakon velikog uspjeha ovog izvanrednog komada, napisao je scenario za ovaj film, snimljen 1986. godine. Film je  autobiografskog karaktera oslikanog kroz život Arnold Beckoffa.
Arnold Beckoff, židov, homoseksualac, tranvestit, koji zarađuje u kabareu kao Queer dama hrapavog glasa je glavni lik ovog filma. Njegovi scenski nastupi su autentični upravo zbog glasa koji se pamti zauvijek. Sam Harvey Fierstein kojeg predstavlja glavni lik ovog filma za svoj glas kaže: “Ja mislim da je svaki glas 30% pjevanje i 70% hrapavost – kod mene je to 95%. I zaista jeste, mozda čak i 98%.” Arnold upoznaje Ed-a sa kojim saznaje šta je to istinska prva ljubav. Principjelan kakav je bio, poštujući samog sebe od Ed-a zahtijeva da ne skriva njihovu vezu. Ed, biseksualac, ne može da pređe preko tradicionalnih manira koji su u njemu duboko ukorijenjeni.
Arnold nastavlja život bez Ed-a koji se nakon toga oženi. Upoznaje Alana, drugu iskrenu ljubav. Prije nego su započeli vezu rekao je Alanu. Živjećemo ako možeš da ispuniš moja pravila, prvo želim da imam dijete, drugo ako neko pita…( ne želim da sakrivamo našu vezu.) Godinu dana kasnije podnose zahtjev za usvajanje. Prije negoli li socijalna služba dovede na starateljstvo 15-godišnjeg Davida, Alan pogiba u uličnoj tuči.
Da ne prepričavam film dalje, ponešto treba i sami da odgledate.
Film je briljantno napravljen, sa odličnom pričom, glumom, muzikom… Geldajući ga prožimale su me različite emocije,, oduševljenje, smijeh, tuga, zebnja i samo mogu zamisliti reakcije publike na Brodwayu ili u kino dvoranama dok se ovaj film prikazivao.
Nakon ovog kultnog filma, koji je izazvao pravu malu kulturnu revoluciju u gay zajednici New Yorka, odnos društva prema ljudima istospolne orjentacije se počeo brže mjenjati.

http://www.threemoviebuffs.com/review/torch-song-trilogy

In 1988 Harvey Fierstein brought his multiple Tony winning, hit Broadway play Torch Song Trilogy to the big screen. He adapted the screenplay and recreated the role of female impersonator and hopeless romantic Arnold Beckoff. I was a 21 year old gay man when I first saw this movie and it had a profound effect on me. I remember walking out of the theater with a newfound sense of belonging.

The story is set in New York City during the golden age of modern gay culture, those liberating years between the Stonewall uprising in 1969 and the advent of the AIDS epidemic in 1981. As the title suggests the story takes place in three acts.

After a brief opening scene where we see a young Arnold playing dress-up in his mother’s closet in 1952 Brooklyn, the story proper begins with Arnold in his dressing room making up for a show in 1971. He delivers a monologue about love directly to the camera, and throughout the movie returns to this cinematic gimmick.

Later that same night Arnold gets picked up at a bar and begins dating Ed, a self-proclaimed bi-sexual. This prompts one of his fellow drag queens to remark, “Just once I’d like to see a bi-sexual that lives with a man and sneaks out to see his girlfriend on the side.”

During the first act we meet Arnold’s disapproving mother (Anne Bancroft playing the role Estelle Getty originated onstage but since Getty was busy playing Sophia on television’s The Golden Girls she was unable to be in the film) and watch as his relationship with Ed goes through several ups and downs. It ends with Ed’s big emotional moment in Arnold’s dressing room.

In act two we meet Alan (played by Matthew Broderick who had originated the role of David in the play). He is a gorgeous young model that falls for Arnold one night after an altercation at the club where Arnold performs. Act two ends on a tragic note.

The third act takes place in 1980 and deals with Arnold’s relationship with David, a troubled gay teenager living with Arnold and whom Arnold hopes to adopt. It culminates with Arnold’s big confrontation with his mother and hints at a possible reconciliation with Ed.

Torch Song Trilogy moves effortlessly between comedy and drama. In the third act David gets sent home from school for fighting. When Arnold asks him what he was fighting about he replies, “He called me a douche bag, so I slugged him.” “How 50’s.” Arnold quips back. Then just a few moments later Arnold and his mother have a dramatic argument where she says, “You shut me out of your life and then blamed me for not being there.”

In subject matter this movie was ahead of its time. Arnold and Alan discuss wanting to get married and raising children and the topic of gay adoption is broached. It also shone a light on gay bashing and offered many straight people their first glimpse into the gay urban subculture (in fact I saw this movie with my brother Eric and he made a similar comment as we were leaving the theater). Drag icon Charles Pierce gets to do his famous Mae West and Bette Davis impersonations.

The cast is excellent. Brian Kerwin is great as Ed and Eddie Castrodad gets a few good scenes as David. Matthew Broderick seems a bit tentative playing Alan though. Anne Bancroft steals her scenes as Arnold’s very Jewish mother. Her best moment takes place at a cemetery where she and Arnold have yet another emotional outburst.

Harvey Fierstein, although not a movie star, makes Arnold a likable average guy and a rather unique leading man. He was the character I identified the most with when I first saw this movie. Given his physical appearance the story is a bit of a fantasy in the sense that he somehow gets two very attractive men to fall in love with him. But then it is his movie so why not?

Torch Song Trilogy was groundbreaking in 1988 and retains its relevance and entertainment value in 2011.

Orvel.Me