The Celluloid Closet by Vito Russo is a book which was also adapted into a documentary which follows and exposes the history of homosexual representation in film. It brings to light the mistreatment of gay characters through examples of films in which gay characters were frightening villains or extremely ashamed of themselves. The Celluloid Closet also points out the pattern in many movies where the gay characters are eventually killed off. Whether it’s being shot like in Rebel Without A Cause or suicide like in The Children’s Hour it was a theme in Hollywood for the homosexual characters to meet their end within the movie. I had personally never noticed many of the points made in the documentary of The Celluloid Closet. These norms and ideas are slipped into society without much notice. Cinema along with other forms of media can subtly influence the general population through suggestion. It was fascinating to hear the accounts the commentators in the documentaries had to share about their experience watching movies as gay viewers. They all saw the suggestions about homosexuality so clearly because they interpreted the films through their own filters. One woman commented that growing up she was almost desperate for any recognition or visibility of homosexuality in the world around her.
Audrey Chasteen
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