A Gay Movie?
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gginlasvegas — 19 years ago(March 09, 2007 02:44 PM)
It is apparent that most of the writers here have not studied the history of World War II or have had contact with veterans of that conflict who are willing to talk about their wartime experiences. Did homosexuals serve in the military during World War II? Of course. Do we know of any glaring instances where their sexual orientation brought about a battle defeat for the USA? No.
When your life is on the line and the soldier standing next to you is the most important person in your life in the moment, I think you would care little about his sexual preference. The bottom line would be: Is this guy going to warn me so I can dodge a bullet? Or even more: Is he willing to jump on a grenade for save me and the other men? I am certain that a lot of "gay" soldiers were involved in heroic deeds in World War II.
I have seen this film repeatedly and I didn't take the bond of brotherhood between the characters to be sexual in any respect. Of course, you can READ whatever you want into a scene or a relationship that is depicted in a film. -
ducdebrabant — 19 years ago(February 15, 2007 01:17 PM)
It's almost unavoidable, since Franciscus's first interaction with Hayes, he's in a bathing suit, and ordered to teach Hayes to swim. Franciscus is so beautiful that even the most heterosexual man has to react to seeing him onscreen, semi-nude, teaching another beautiful man to blow bubbles under the water. What's more, he's unpopular with the officers, as is Hayes. They're both outcasts. And Franciscus's kindness is the only tenderness Hayes seems to receive from anybody. I don't think a gay subtext is necessarily intentional, but reading it that way is definitely possible.
You didn't suffer as much as black people so stop acting special. -
schlob77 — 18 years ago(November 03, 2007 12:02 PM)
Spoken like some moron teenager who has NEVER been in combat, NEVER exeperience pure terrors and formed bonds with brother soilders. Doesn'tr make them gay, doesn't mean they have sex wtih each other.
This movie is weak, very misleading and makes Hayes look ridiculous. Read the books, understand the real Hayes, not judge him by this biased garbage. -
matthewbarrett23 — 18 years ago(February 13, 2008 10:29 PM)
EXCUSE ME, BUT ARE YOU AN INDIAN FROM WW2.
BECAUSE IF YOU WERE YOU WOULD UNDER STAND WHAT IRA WENT THROUGH.
HIS BEST AND ONLY FRIEND. THE ONLY PERSON WHO WOULD ACSEPT HIM FOR BEING AN INDIAN WAS KILLED FOR A PUBLISETY STUNT, SO THE STOOPED GOVERNMENT COULD GET MORE MEN TO GIVE UP THERE LIVES SO THAT THEY COULD RULE THE EARTH!!!!!! -
jeangabin1 — 15 years ago(October 14, 2010 01:00 PM)
i haven't seen the film for a long time so i wouldn't remember if there was a gay subtext.
but what do you mean "an amazing performance by tony curtis -for once"?
surely you must have seen "sweet smell of success"?
"boston strangler"?
"defiant ones"? -
oybth — 12 years ago(July 01, 2013 01:17 PM)
I'm one of they who didn't like Tony Curtis' performance. But they needed him for the boxoffice appeal.
I did think there might have been some attraction between the two. It wouldn't be, to me, a lustful attraction. It would be opposites being attracted. If you were in the military service back in the day, you'd notice that opposites would become buddies. I, myself, attracted my own opposite. The attraction was never, ever homosexual.
Perhaps, the homosexual subtext may have been encouraged by Hayes' singing "Where Are You?" as he started to drink heavily. That part was fiction, or course.
Incidentally, the great singer, Dinah Washington, recorded "Where Are You?" after the movie came out. It was a decent enough seller at the time.
I'd encourage everyone to give it a listen. Very powerful, imo!