KEY MOMENTS IN QUEER CINEMA

VEGAS IN SPACE MAY NOT HAVE FOUND A MASS AUDIENCE, BUT THESE LGBTQ FILMS WERE LUCKIER…

VICTIM __ 1961 dirk Bogarde’s closeted barrister is the victim of blackmail in the first english-language film to use the word “homosexual”. its sympathetic portrayal is often credited with helping to liberalise British laws and soften prejudice.

MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE __ 1985 this one is an examination of tolerance all round, dealing with issues of poverty, racism and extremism. amid the chaos that those bring, the love story between gordon Warnecke’s omar and daniel day-lewis’ Johnny is a place of comparative safety.

BOYS DON’T CRY __ 1999 Kimberly Peirce’s oscar-winning film is based on the real-life story of murdered trans man Brandon teena. Peirce keeps the focus tight on the story of Brandon and his girlfriend lana, rather than sensationalising his tragic death, giving this devastating emotional power.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN __ 2005 ang lee’s beautiful, lyrical love story illustrates the profound damage that a closeted life can cause, as two cowboys fall in love while stationed on a remote mountain, only to then spend a lifetime trying to hide their feelings from their closest family.

BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR __ 2013 this coming-of-age story about a young woman’s first affair is so authentic that even its startlingly explicit sex scenes did not distract critics from its emotional core. stunning breakthrough performances from adèle exarchopoulos and léa seydoux also helped.