First man-on-man kiss in film?
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alxnrth — 18 years ago(February 04, 2008 07:01 PM)
Even though I enjoy the scene every time I see it. I find it profoundly moving, not for any sexual reason, but because these men really LOVE each other, as brothers, if you will. I can think of any number of men in my life, who, if they were facing their mortality, I would want to kiss goodbye.
Dale -
twistedude — 18 years ago(February 04, 2008 10:12 PM)
The sceneby the way I JUST saw the film, on TCM (although I own it)I stumbled on it when I turned on TCM is really wonderful, and I don't think about sex, as distinguished from love when i watch it. There is a line in "The Cocktail Party," (which I haven't heard since 1969): "But who, or what in me was loving, I do not know." Like that.
The scene is very long, longer than I remembred from my own DVD. "You know that nothing could ever be more important to me than your friendship." "I knew it..all the time." I don't think Jack is just shining him on because he's dying. but everyone has only his own eyes.
I would say, though, that love between two men doesn't HAVE to exclude physical attraction, just because the men are not gay. At 72, "in a strange way, everything seem(s) a little mixed."
There are other things I could say (based on this..um..third viewing), but I'll let it go at that. Another viewing, in a couple of months, may change my mind again.
"Thus began our longest journey together." To Kill a Mockingbird -
mackjay2 — 17 years ago(March 19, 2009 10:10 AM)
I just saw this incredible film all the way through.
My theory about THE KISS is that they really do love each other. Maybe they are just realizing it at this sadly belated moment. It's not just the kiss, look at the way they caress each other with tremendous tenderness. Sure, they like or love the women in the story, but the feelings they express in this scene are far more powerful than the hetero scenes. Men can have incredibly deep emotional connections to each other, which may or may not be realized sexually. I think this is what is going on. They were the loves of each others' lives. -
Fenris_89 — 13 years ago(April 23, 2012 03:14 PM)
I thought it was a beautiful scene, perfectly acted. In today's society they probably wouldn't get away with that, which is sad, because it was the most powerful scene in the movie for me. Jack going to David's parents is a close second.
And I too think that it was love expressed between brothers of war, unique bonds develop in desperate times. -
JaneSchmo — 17 years ago(December 01, 2008 10:59 PM)
I saw The Celluloid Closet and the kiss in it some years ago and wanted to see Wings just because of that.
Loved it! So sweet.
Still, he doesn't actually kiss him. On the cheek, in the corner of his mouth. Not on the lips at all. -
Henry_Framus_Valentine — 13 years ago(February 20, 2013 08:21 PM)
What rot! It`s not even the first man-on-man kiss in this particular film. Just before the intermission, when Jack and David are being awarded their medals, the one-armed French officer kisses both men on both cheeks.
I find my solace then in bottles,
And I forget them axolotls. -
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hamlet-16 — 10 years ago(May 29, 2015 10:27 PM)
The scene is very intense and the kiss in lingering and emotional .. two friends saying goodbye I am not sure Wellman or the 1920s audience would see it is "gay".
A pity no-one got to ask Buddy Rogers what he thought of the scene (maybe they did ???)