Lasting no more than twenty seconds or so on screen, this film captures in one static shot the spectacle of two men dancing together. A documentary surveying the various hollywood screen depictions of homosexuals and the attitudes behind them throughout the history of north american film. The celluloid closet 1995 is a very entertaining documentary that chronicles the often. The film is based on the 1981 revised 1987 book of the same name written by vito russo, and on previous lecture and film clip presentations given in person by russo 197282. Todays panel included directorexecutive producer ryan white, executive producer wanda sykes and.
Watch the celluloid closet movie trailers, exclusive videos, interviews from the cast, movie clips and more at. The celluloid closet debuted in 1995 at the venice film festival. The celluloid closet je dokumentarni film baziran na istoimenoj knjizi vita russoa. Oct, 1995 the celluloid closet ranges from obscure film clips two men dancing together a hundred years ago in an experimental film of thomas edisons to scenes that are eminently familiar. On the 30th anniversary of publication of vito russos celluloid closet, mark adnum takes a fresh look at this important but problematic history of queer representation in cinema. The celluloid closet explodes sexual myths and explores how our attitudes about homosexuality and sex roles have evolved through the century. The celluloid closet 1995 the celluloid closet 1995.
The movie, narrated by lily tomlin, contains interviews with a lot of witnesses from the days when gays were in the hollywood closet. He recalls how he was hired by director william wyler to do rewrites on benhur. The film is based on the 1981 revised 1987 book of the same name written by vito russo, and on previous lecture and film clip presentations given in person by russo 197282 russo researched the history of how motion pictures, especially hollywood. The celluloid close is, as such, a complicated film for me to watch. There have been articles and books about lgbt cinema since russos death in 1990, but nothing as magisterial as the celluloid closet. The celluloid closet 1996 r 03151996 us history, documentary 1h 42m user score. The celluloid closet adalah sebuah film dokumenter amerika 1995 yang disutradarai dan ditulis oleh rob epstein dan jeffrey friedman. The entire filmography of the revised edition of vito russos classic book, the celluloid closet. Five things hit me harder than a hammer to the kneecap while watching eyeopening 1996 documentary the celluloid closet. The celluloid closet quotes by vito russo goodreads. The celluloid closet is a 1995 american documentary film directed and written by rob epstein and jeffrey friedman.
My analysis on the celluloid closet film, gender, and. Chu hai tang 1943 a general and a female impersonator from the peking opera. Aug 30, 2010 52 videos play all popular videos the celluloid closet the celluloid closet topic history of homosexuality on film duration. Utilizing film clips and interviews, tied together by lily tomlins narration, the celluloid closet takes the viewer through various stages of hollywood history from the screaming nellies of 1930s musicals to the more finely drawn characters of today. Out on television, which apple announced will launch feb. Out of the celluloid closet gay activists are on a rampage against negative stereotyping and other acts of homophobia in hollywood by janice c. The celluloid closet makes us see hollywood images in a whole new light, exploding sexual myths and examining our attitudes about sexuality and sex roles as they evolved through the 20th century. That quibble aside, this film has one glorious asset. With clips from over 100 hollywood movies and interviews with many of the filmmakers and actors who created them including tom hanks, shirley maclaine, susan sarandon, whoopi goldberg, tony curtis, and gore vidal, the celluloid closet is an epic story. The documentary is a worthy adaptation of the vito russo book, managing to include and expand on many of the ideas from the book. Domestic bliss 1985 british madefortelevision sitcom. The celluloid closet, a documentary about the representation of homosexuality in hollywood, was first released in 1995. This documentary highlights the historical contexts that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have occupied in cinema history, and shows the evolution of the entertainment industrys role in shaping perceptions of lgbt. Films featured in the celluloid closet, a list of films.
Viewers watching the celluloid closet in 2018 will likely have a hard time recognizing the queer cinema being depicted in the film unless they grew up with it. The celluloid closet is a documentary directed by rob epstein, jeffrey friedman. Find out where the celluloid closet is streaming, if the celluloid closet is on netflix, and get news and updates, on decider. Along with the various interviews, the celluloid closet also features countless film clips from the films discussed. A home box office presentation in association with channel 4, zdfarte, brillsteingrey entertainment, hugh m. Russo had researched the history of how motion pictures, especially hollywood films, had. The celluloid closet is an indie documentary film that was created in 1995. Russo je ispitivao kao su filmovi, posebno u hollywoodu, prikazivali gej, lezbejske, biseksualne i transrodne likove film sadrzi intervjue sa osobama povezanim sa hollywoodom o njihovom licnom iskustvu vezanim za prikazivanje lgbt likova.
Homosexuality in the movies, and on lecture and film clip presentations he gave in 19721982. The issues addressed include secrecy which initially defined homosexuality as well as the demonization of the. While celluloid film was standard for 35mm theatrical productions until around 1950, motionpicture film for amateur use, such as 16mm and 8mm film, were on acetate safety base, at least in the us. A list of 118 films compiled on letterboxd, including the celluloid closet 1995, 48 hrs. This movie had see below in the lead roles of the film. Vito russo, film historian and author of the celluloid closet, was a regular at new york citys st. However, the celluloid closet generously commends the increasingly progressive representations of homosexuality. Opening the celluloid closet 20 years later pinknews. After youre through watching the documentary, you may well have a giant list of films you feel compelled to watch. Interviews were made with many well known celebrities in both film and literature about the over all changes in american film on how lgbt characters evolved during the 20th century.
Praised by the chicago tribune as an impressive study and written with incisive wit and searing perception the definitive, highly acclaimed landmark work on the portrayal of homosexuality in film. This documentary highlights the historical contexts that. Film tersebut berdasarkan pada buku bernama sama karya vito russo yang pertama kali terbit pada 1981. This documentary highlights the historical contexts that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals have occupied in cinema history, and shows the evolution of the entertainment industrys role in shaping perceptions of lgbt figures. The celluloid closet revised edition, a list of films. The celluloid closet takes a thoughtprovoking look at the decades of omission and misrepresentation endured. Celluloid closet is a nonfiction film that presses more emotional buttons than many a manipulative melodrama and seems of equal interest to. Celluloid is a 20 malayalam biographical film coproduced, written and directed by kamal, starring prithviraj, sreenivasan, mamta mohandas and chandni in the lead roles.
The celluloid closet has just made its debut on dvd and its extras are worth checking out even if you have already seen, or own, the film on videotape. Mar 09, 2015 the celluloid closet is an indie documentary film that was created in 1995. Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comiccon sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. Film the celluloid closet is a 1995 american documentary film directed and written by rob epstein and jeffrey friedman. The celluloid closet is about 100 minutes long, and manages to cram in countless clips, stills and comments about a huge variety of movies that are about homosexuality, or deal with some aspect of gay life. Watch the celluloid closet online 1996 movie yidio. It describes how the infamous hays code eliminated all mention of homosexuality from the. Footage from over 120 films shows the changing face of homosexuality both male and female in the movies from cruel stereotypes to covert love to. Yet gays were everywhere in the movies, right from the beginningthis documentary shows two men dancing together in a thomas edison short named the gay brothers, from 1895and often they were hidden in plain view. Financial analysis of the celluloid closet 1996 including budget, domestic and international box office gross, dvd and bluray sales reports, total earnings and profitability.
Usa 22 september 1999 boulder gay and lesbian film festival south africa 14 march 2004 johannesburg pride south africa gay and lesbian film festival belgium 5 november. Anyone interested in film history or lgbt history will love this documentary. The celluloid closet the screen version of vito russos book on the history of the depiction of gays and lesbians in american cinema, the celluloid closet, opens on a grainy image. Homosexuality in the movies by vito russo 2,180 ratings, 4. Clips from films with lgbtq characters, actors and writers of those movies, and current actors and actresses were all used to help display the history of the progression of homosexual characters in movies. The celluloid closet 1996 r 0315 1996 us history, documentary 1h 42m user score. The film works mostly as a time capsule now, highlighting just how far queer filmmakers have gone, and just how grim some of the representation used to be. Presently, im a little choked up and teary over it, because this is the most homosexuality ive seen in a given two hours, and as an overview of the history of queer love in film in the 20th century, it reminds me too much of what its like in the 21st.
Oscars best picture winners best picture winners golden globes emmys san diego comiccon new york comic con sundance film festival toronto intl film festival awards central festival central all events. The celluloid closet was a documentary film that took an indepth look at the hidden world of homosexuality in the hollywood film industry. Before the celluloid closet, epstein and friedman won oscars for two other gaythemed documentaries, the life of harvey milk and common threads. The celluloid closet came out in 1996, as marches and protests against homosexual representation in film and television grew. The celluloid closet 1996 celluloid closet, the a look at hollywoods depiction of gays and lesbians on the silver screen from the silent era of the 1920s to the present day.
With clips from over 100 hollywood movies and interviews with many of the filmmakers and actors who created them including tom hanks, shirley maclaine, susan sarandon, whoopi goldberg, tony curtis, and. Opening the door of the celluloid closet reveals a shifting kaleidoscope that underlines just how influential, for good or bad, the movies. The chat with gore vidal has already become famous. The celluloid closet takes a thoughtprovoking look at the decades of omission and misrepresentation endured by the gay community in mainstream cinema. How far have we come since the film was released, and how. The celluloid closet functions as a multipurpose wonder. The film is based on vito russos 1981 book the celluloid closet. Celluloid was useful for creating cheaper jewellery, jewellery boxes, hair accessories and many items that would earlier have been manufactured. Coming out of the celluloid closet bright walldark room. The documentary interviews various men and women connected to the hollywood industry to comment on.
Filmmakers rob epstein and jeffrey friedman, who have previously won an academy award for common threads. Includes vitos notes on each film please note that many notes have slurs in them. Film archivist and activist vito russo had been dead for five years by the time the film version of his 1981 book the celluloid closet. But the indelible marks of his personality are all over the wry, lively 1995 documentary that resulted. Based on the book by vito russo, this 1995 documentary explores the history of hollywoods portrayal of gay characters through the ages. The celluloid closet is a 1996 american documentary film directed and written by rob epstein and jeffrey friedman. The celluloid closet the monumental documentary that explores the depiction of queer characters in hollywood cinema is turning 20. The celluloid closet official movie site sony pictures. There is an 1895 film clip by edison, of two men dancing, probably the earliest segment here. Portrayals of homosexuality were frowned upon until the 1960s, by the movie industrys production code and such groups as the legion of decency. The issues addressed include secrecy which initially defined homosexuality as well as the demonization of the homosexual community with the advent.
The celluloid closet where to stream and watch decider. The directors are jeffrey friedman and rob epstein. Desert hearts was the only lesbian film out of nine films selected for screening at the first london lesbian and gay film festival in 1986. The celluloid closet is a documentary film that touches on issues within the lgbt community, specifically within the hollywood scene. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the celluloid closet near you. Filmmakers rob epstein and jeffrey friedman look at the depiction of homosexuality in film. Near the beginning and the end of the celluloid closet we are shown the same clip. The film is based on the 1981 revised 1987 book of the same name written by vito russo, and on previous lecture and film clip presentations given in person by russo 197282 russo researched the history of how motion pictures, especially hollywood films, had portrayed gay. The image is one from american cinemas protocinematic past. Not all of my readers own a dvd player, so lets start with the film itself before discussing the extras. The film is based on the 1981 book of the same name written by vito russo, and on previous lecture and film clip presentations given in.
The celluloid closet r 1h 42min documentary, history 15 march 1996 usa a documentary surveying the various hollywood screen depictions of homosexuals and the attitudes behind them throughout the history of north american film. The movie is based on a book written by legendary gayrights. Films featured in the celluloid closet, a list of films by. With lily tomlin, tony curtis, susie bright, arthur laurents. Author armistead maupin tales of the city wrote lily tomlins narration for this superb documentary, based on a book by the late vito russo, about hollywoods treatment of homosexual characters in. The celluloid closet was a film that documented the use of homosexual characters in the world of hollywood. What thats entertainment did for movie musicals, the celluloid closet does for hollywood homosexuality, as this exuberant, eyeopening movie serves up a dazzling hundredyear history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Aug 15, 2009 the celluloid closet, a documentary about the representation of homosexuality in hollywood, was first released in 1995. The celluloid closet is an english movie directed by rob epstein, jeffrey friedman released in the year 1996. This documentary highlights the historical contexts that gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders have occupied in cinema history, and shows the evolution of the entertainment industrys role in shaping perceptions of lgbt figures. The celluloid closet movie trailer and videos tv guide. Daniel, the father of malayalam cinema, the making of his film vigathakumaran and the story of vigathakumaran s heroine.
To watch the fascinating and illuminating the celluloid closet on hbo tonightor to read the late vito russos landmark book upon which it is basedis to be made to realize that the movies, so. Watch the celluloid closet online stream full movie directv. The celluloid closet is based on how motion pictures especially hollywood films had portrayed gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender characters in cinema. Directors robert epstein and jeffrey friedman common threads. One of the film s problems was that there was no plausible explanation for the hatred between the characters played by. It is an enlightening, entertaining and somewhat disturbing look at how a coded idea of homosexual identity was put forward in mainstream cinema, the lingua franca of the 20th century. The celluloid closet 1996, is a historical documentary that traces depictions of homosexuality within hollywood cinema, highlighting the accompanying misrepresentation and resulting cultural assertions. I think russo would be encouraged by the progress gays and lesbians have made in the cinema since his passing, and it would be nice if another russo arose to record and assess that progress. The celluloid closet is the film version of author vito russos landmark book by the same name.
660 278 756 170 764 183 459 277 537 444 1130 766 1049 237 717 1504 84 1451 1351 5 573 1234 655 1317 194 466 632 1060 422 834 221 1201