Homosexuality in EXPERIMENTAL film: the 1910s
DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS (ANDERS ALS DIE ANDERN) 1919
DIR. RICHARD OSWALD & MAGNUS HIRSCHFELD
GERMANY
ORIGINAL RUNTIME: 90 MINUTES
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/0/6/18060971/1904921.jpg)
Richard Oswald’s Different From the Others is an important landmark in queer cinema because it is the first film to publicly support homosexuality. The film was produced, and written, by sexologist Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld who had founded and had led the German homosexual emancipation movement since 1897 (Steakley, 183). With the founding of the Weimar Republic, after World War I, there was a constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech, assembly and artistic expression. It is due to this newfound freedom that homosexual rights movements began to spring up and Different From the Others (or Anders als die Andern) was able to be shown publicly and distributed in 1919 (Steakley, 184). The film was first screened at a press preview at the Apollo Theatre in Berlin and introduced by Hirschfeld himself. It then went on to be distributed throughout Germany and within a year was exported to Austria and the Netherlands. It was a box office hit and continued to play, and sell out, wherever it premiered (Steakley, 188).
The film follows the story of Paul, a successful musician who falls in love with Kurt, a student of his. Kurt moves in with Paul and the two start a relationship. The relationship is short-lived because it is discovered by an acquaintance of the couple who proceeds to blackmail Paul. Refusing to let the blackmailer win, Paul takes him to court but both men receive jail-time because of the German laws against homosexual acts. After serving his prison sentence Paul, whose reputation has been destroyed, commits suicide. At the funeral, and by his lover’s side, Kurt promises to change the laws against homosexuality.
Different From the Others was created as an educational film to teach the public that homosexuality was scientifically not a choice. Hirschfeld used it as a way to spread the word that homosexuality was something people were born with; it had nothing to do with ‘nurture’ and was not a disease (Steakley, 182-183). The film was very progressive for its time and we chose it because it is an important step in gay content on screen. True, the film does not show anything explicit, but it is the first film to show a realistic depiction of gay men. All films before this point used the effeminate ‘pansy’ character whenever referencing homosexual behaviour and this is something that still continues today in mainstream cinema. Realistic gay protagonists are still few and far between, the only time we catch a glimpse of them is generally in avant-garde, art-house, or other experimental films outside of the Hollywood dominated mainstream; it is the build-up to this that we are also trying to demonstrate. Gay characters rarely appeared in film and when they did there were generally no sexual ties because of censorship laws. Different From the Others did not have any nudity, or suggestive scenes, because it was trying to make a political statement. If it had anything that could have be deemed ‘inappropriate’ it would have been banned a lot sooner than it was (Steakley, 188).
Despite the film being cautious in referencing anything sexual, there is one scene that fades out as two men, in bed together, lean in to kiss. Since Oswald’s film had this scene, plus the subject matter of homosexuality, by the end of 1920 it was banned in many cities (Vienna, Munich, and Stuttgart for example) and was available for viewing only for educational purposes and by medical professionals. When the Nazi’s came to power in 1933 all known copies were destroyed. It was not until 1976 that a partial print surfaced in the Ukraine (Murray, 378). There are no full-length copies to date, though a DVD is available with intertitles to summarize the missing scenes.
The film follows the story of Paul, a successful musician who falls in love with Kurt, a student of his. Kurt moves in with Paul and the two start a relationship. The relationship is short-lived because it is discovered by an acquaintance of the couple who proceeds to blackmail Paul. Refusing to let the blackmailer win, Paul takes him to court but both men receive jail-time because of the German laws against homosexual acts. After serving his prison sentence Paul, whose reputation has been destroyed, commits suicide. At the funeral, and by his lover’s side, Kurt promises to change the laws against homosexuality.
Different From the Others was created as an educational film to teach the public that homosexuality was scientifically not a choice. Hirschfeld used it as a way to spread the word that homosexuality was something people were born with; it had nothing to do with ‘nurture’ and was not a disease (Steakley, 182-183). The film was very progressive for its time and we chose it because it is an important step in gay content on screen. True, the film does not show anything explicit, but it is the first film to show a realistic depiction of gay men. All films before this point used the effeminate ‘pansy’ character whenever referencing homosexual behaviour and this is something that still continues today in mainstream cinema. Realistic gay protagonists are still few and far between, the only time we catch a glimpse of them is generally in avant-garde, art-house, or other experimental films outside of the Hollywood dominated mainstream; it is the build-up to this that we are also trying to demonstrate. Gay characters rarely appeared in film and when they did there were generally no sexual ties because of censorship laws. Different From the Others did not have any nudity, or suggestive scenes, because it was trying to make a political statement. If it had anything that could have be deemed ‘inappropriate’ it would have been banned a lot sooner than it was (Steakley, 188).
Despite the film being cautious in referencing anything sexual, there is one scene that fades out as two men, in bed together, lean in to kiss. Since Oswald’s film had this scene, plus the subject matter of homosexuality, by the end of 1920 it was banned in many cities (Vienna, Munich, and Stuttgart for example) and was available for viewing only for educational purposes and by medical professionals. When the Nazi’s came to power in 1933 all known copies were destroyed. It was not until 1976 that a partial print surfaced in the Ukraine (Murray, 378). There are no full-length copies to date, though a DVD is available with intertitles to summarize the missing scenes.
OTHER NOTABLE FILMS:
1912 - Algie the Miner - For an example of the Hollywood 'Sissy' stereotype.
1914- A Florida Enchantment - Features two women kissing.
1915- A Woman - A Charlie Chaplin film in which he dresses as a woman and is pursued romantically by two men.
1916- Vingarme – THE WINGS- follows Rodin's life in a gay context - it was destroyed by the Nazis.
1912 - Algie the Miner - For an example of the Hollywood 'Sissy' stereotype.
1914- A Florida Enchantment - Features two women kissing.
1915- A Woman - A Charlie Chaplin film in which he dresses as a woman and is pursued romantically by two men.
1916- Vingarme – THE WINGS- follows Rodin's life in a gay context - it was destroyed by the Nazis.
CITATIONS:
Murray, Raymond. Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video. Philadelphia: TLA Publications, 1994. Print.
Steakley, James. "Cinema and Censorship in the Weimar Republic: The Case of Anders Als Die Andern." Film History 11.2 (1999): 181-203. JSTOR. Web. 29 Mar. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3815322>.
Murray, Raymond. Images in the Dark: An Encyclopedia of Gay and Lesbian Film and Video. Philadelphia: TLA Publications, 1994. Print.
Steakley, James. "Cinema and Censorship in the Weimar Republic: The Case of Anders Als Die Andern." Film History 11.2 (1999): 181-203. JSTOR. Web. 29 Mar. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3815322>.