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Hedwig and the Angry Inch marks, as far as I've seen and I've looked a bit, a turning point in what gets called "gay film". Previous films in this vein have been entertaining and had a certain charm and a somewhat poignant message about acceptance. The Birdcage focused on acceptance of people who are different, Torch Song was more about acceptance of the hardships of gay life, and subsequent projects (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, To Wong Foo, et al) in this genre have celebrated The Individual - the humor, the sensitivity/vulnerability and the style of "royalty". Consistently though, they focus on interpersonal relationships that are largely peculiar to the gay lifestyle.
That's the corner that Hedwig... turns. It's not about being gay. This is a story about self-acceptance.... about healing, and self-knowledge. It operates on a much deeper level than one expects. John Cameron Mitchell has given us a story about recapturing that which was lost - his own manhood, love of self. It's a fun ride, don't get me wrong. The music is awesome. I downloaded most of the soundtrack while watching the movie a second time. Visually, it's fun to look at - Hedwig's outrageousness is a given, but the film is also nicely peppered with symbolism, with cool animation and with glimses of true human beauty. I speak of Michael Pitt's lips. mrow.
Seen once, this movie is a fun, funny, charming musical ride. On second viewing, I got even more out of it, as the symbolism of Hedwig's persuit of Tommy gelled for me. There are hints, in the writing and the photography, that Tommy is a part of Hedwig that he needs to understand... and have understanding from... in order to be whole. Seeing that happen is unexpectedly moving.
On a final note, I am pretty awed by John Cameron Mitchell, as his on-screen performance was fucking brilliant, and as writer/director, the supportive symbolism all came from his fertile little brain as well. I am already looking forward to his next directorial effort: Short Bus, in pre-production at this writing. IMDB says it's an exploration of relationships, through gender, art, other stuff... This I've gotta see!
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Titania on 6/14/04 at 01:16 PM
Great review! I had no idea that Mitchell is working on another film. Yay! I've always wondered if the reason this film works so well was that it was adapted by Mitchell and Trask, NOT by a "filmmaker".
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CatFaery on 6/14/04 at 03:13 PM
Thanks! :) I agree. I think it can go either way - that a good script can be made and ruined by committee, or that a so-so script can be fixed by one, but in this case, it's good all the way through. Also, collar me biased, but I think people who have studied theater have a better grasp of symbolism and metaphor than a person who has studied film. Any film that combines a good story with symbolism seems to hit at a deeper level than a good story, well shot. I think that has a lot to d
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Undine on 6/14/04 at 03:23 PM
I think some poets have a pretty good grasp of symbolism and metaphor too. ;) Great review, Cat, for a great movie. I think I will go put the soundtrack on right now.
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Bruce Li on 6/14/04 at 05:53 PM
This is a musical I actually enjoyed, although I watched it while inebriated a couple years ago, so my appreciation for the film is mainly on an aesthetic level. Another film I would recommend in the vein of Hedwig is [i]Velvet Goldmine[/i]. While certainly more (homo)sexual than Hedwig, it is a hip modern fairy-tale about the rise and fall of a glam rock superstar in the seventies. The personae of the two 'heroes' of the story, played by Jon Rhys-Meyers and Ewan McGregor, are loosely based o
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CatFaery on 6/14/04 at 10:32 PM
I haven't seen it... hadn't even heard of it, but I like JR-D and I will check it out. I like some of the [i]Rocky Horror[/i] music, so it seems my poor taste will pay off. :) And if it's about Bowie, I'm there. I'll let you know what I think, when I've seen it.
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Bruce Li on 6/15/04 at 04:37 PM
Not Rhys-Davies, though. It's a dude named Rhys-Meyers. I'm guessing some fella named Rhys had been spreading his seed in the late sixties. Like I said, it's loosely based on Bowie and Pop and makes references to other icons of the seventies glam movemement. It's actually a fun movie. Ewan McGregor stole the show.
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Mr. Furious on 6/14/04 at 07:49 PM
And to think, I almost watched [I]THAT[/I]! Whew, that was close!
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CatFaery on 6/14/04 at 10:33 PM
You mean you didn't??!! :mad:
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Little Irish on 6/15/04 at 12:43 PM
This film is on sale in my local DVD/Video shop, should I buy it or buy beer?
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CatFaery on 6/15/04 at 03:08 PM
Steal it and buy the beer. The dvd will fit better under your jumper.
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