HOMOSEXUALITY IN EXPERIMENTAL FILM: THE 2000S
Raspberry Reich (2004)
dir. Bruce LaBruce
perf. Daniel batscher, andreas rupprecht
Canada, Germany
Runtime: 90 Minutes
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/0/6/18060971/9648580.jpg)
Raspberry Reich explores what LaBruce calls “terrorist chic” and the “innate radical potential for homosexual expression.” It is about a modern terrorist group who continue the work of the Baader-Meinhof Gang. The group consists of several young men an a tyrannical female leader named Gudrun, who call themselves the Raspberry Reich. The film plays with the dynamics of a gay porn film, with sequences of plot interwoven with sexual interludes.
LaBruce employed actual gay porn actors as well as actors who engaged in real sex. Similar to Hustler White, Raspberry Reich uses real gay sex as an entry point into political discussion and sexual revolution. LaBruce believed that sex was inherently a political assertion. In a scene, Gudrun forces two straight subordinates to have sex with each other to “liberate” themselves from hetero-normative restraints of society. The film is littered with political symbolism mixed with sexuality. In the opening scene a character performs fellatio on a gun in front of a giant poster of Che Guevera equating homosexuality with social revolution. In another scene, a man masturbates and ejaculates on a copy of Mein Kamf. Here, the use of real gay sex is not used to (only) arouse, but to provoke political discussion as well.
In a Q&A with LaBruce after a screening of Hustler White, he cited French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard as one of his influences. This is apparent in his apparent contempt for his audience, especially in Hustler White, but also in formal aspects of Raspberry Reich that recall Godard’s Two or Three Things I Know About Her. In his film, LaBruce interrupts the sexuality often with flashes of text displaying political statements, a technique Godard employed in his film. The statements range from coherent to ridiculous. For example “Heterosexuality is the opiate of the masses,” “There is no sexual revolution without homosexual revolution,” “Corporate hip hop is counter revolutionary” and “Corn Flakes are counter revolutionary.” Raspberry Reich further exemplifies the interest of using real gay sex for new purposes.
LaBruce employed actual gay porn actors as well as actors who engaged in real sex. Similar to Hustler White, Raspberry Reich uses real gay sex as an entry point into political discussion and sexual revolution. LaBruce believed that sex was inherently a political assertion. In a scene, Gudrun forces two straight subordinates to have sex with each other to “liberate” themselves from hetero-normative restraints of society. The film is littered with political symbolism mixed with sexuality. In the opening scene a character performs fellatio on a gun in front of a giant poster of Che Guevera equating homosexuality with social revolution. In another scene, a man masturbates and ejaculates on a copy of Mein Kamf. Here, the use of real gay sex is not used to (only) arouse, but to provoke political discussion as well.
In a Q&A with LaBruce after a screening of Hustler White, he cited French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard as one of his influences. This is apparent in his apparent contempt for his audience, especially in Hustler White, but also in formal aspects of Raspberry Reich that recall Godard’s Two or Three Things I Know About Her. In his film, LaBruce interrupts the sexuality often with flashes of text displaying political statements, a technique Godard employed in his film. The statements range from coherent to ridiculous. For example “Heterosexuality is the opiate of the masses,” “There is no sexual revolution without homosexual revolution,” “Corporate hip hop is counter revolutionary” and “Corn Flakes are counter revolutionary.” Raspberry Reich further exemplifies the interest of using real gay sex for new purposes.
Shortbus, 2006
dir. John Cameron Mitchell
perf. paul dawson, pj deboy, sook-yin lee
USA
Runtime: 101 Minutes
![Picture](/uploads/1/8/0/6/18060971/4676259.jpg?385)
John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus continues to prove that filmmakers using real sex in films are searching for new ways to employ eroticism besides pornography, which is strictly intended for sexual gratification. Mitchell intends on stripping away the erotic to see what is left over. Shortbus revolves around a sexually diverse ensemble of gay and straight New Yorkers, desperately trying to connect. The characters’ story lines intersect at a weekly Brooklyn art and sex salon.
Given that Shortbus is an ensemble film, it was important for Mitchell to use sexuality as a metaphor for character development. In other words, we learn more about the character through how they have sex. For example, in the opening scene, a gay character, James, is shown trying to perform fellatio on himself. When he succeeds and brings himself to orgasm, James shows no signs of pleasure or satisfaction and instead cries. We learn that James is struggling with his partner who is pushing him to open up their relationship. Hence, it is through his sex act that we are able to see James’ suffering and inner loneliness.
While Mitchell is finding new uses for sexuality in Shortbus, he does so in a way that highlights realism. He encouraged his actors to paraphrase lines and improvise to remove the stagey performance of their acting. His use of non-simulated sex in a sense is a form of method acting, which is used to evoke a sense of real emotion. Furthermore, the sex in Shortbus is often unsuccessful and ridiculous. There is humor to the way he depicts sex which is absent from porn although at times, sex can be quite humorous. In a threesome scene with James, his partner Jamie and a young man they meet at the salon, Mitchell has his characters sing the Star Spangled Banner while performing oral sex, which is supposed to create pleasurable sensations. While there are obvious political connotations of taking a nation which has repressed homosexuality and sodomizing it, it is also a humorous scene. The sex Mitchell is evoking is a kind that doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is often the case in real life. As the scene progresses, the characters make jokes and eat snacks, their hard-ons coming and going. It is a much more organic approach to sex, which is much different from pornography. Clearly, Mitchell is disrupting our expectations of viewing real sex in films through his use of sexuality for character and story development.
Given that Shortbus is an ensemble film, it was important for Mitchell to use sexuality as a metaphor for character development. In other words, we learn more about the character through how they have sex. For example, in the opening scene, a gay character, James, is shown trying to perform fellatio on himself. When he succeeds and brings himself to orgasm, James shows no signs of pleasure or satisfaction and instead cries. We learn that James is struggling with his partner who is pushing him to open up their relationship. Hence, it is through his sex act that we are able to see James’ suffering and inner loneliness.
While Mitchell is finding new uses for sexuality in Shortbus, he does so in a way that highlights realism. He encouraged his actors to paraphrase lines and improvise to remove the stagey performance of their acting. His use of non-simulated sex in a sense is a form of method acting, which is used to evoke a sense of real emotion. Furthermore, the sex in Shortbus is often unsuccessful and ridiculous. There is humor to the way he depicts sex which is absent from porn although at times, sex can be quite humorous. In a threesome scene with James, his partner Jamie and a young man they meet at the salon, Mitchell has his characters sing the Star Spangled Banner while performing oral sex, which is supposed to create pleasurable sensations. While there are obvious political connotations of taking a nation which has repressed homosexuality and sodomizing it, it is also a humorous scene. The sex Mitchell is evoking is a kind that doesn’t take itself too seriously, which is often the case in real life. As the scene progresses, the characters make jokes and eat snacks, their hard-ons coming and going. It is a much more organic approach to sex, which is much different from pornography. Clearly, Mitchell is disrupting our expectations of viewing real sex in films through his use of sexuality for character and story development.
NOTABLE FILMS:
2000 - Come Undone
2000 - Campfire (Bavo Defurne)
2005 - The Joy of Life
Mainstream:
(Most of these films are from festivals)
2000 - Big Eden
2000 - Broken Heart's Club
2000 - If These Walls Could Talk 2
2000 - The Next Best Thing
2001 - All Over The Guy
2001 - Circuit
2001 - Hedwig and the Angry Inch
2001 - Kissing Jessica Stein
2002 - Far From Heaven
2003 - Camp
2003 - Latter Days
2004 - De-lovely
2005 - Brokeback Mountain
2005 - C.R.A.Z.Y.
2006 - Gray Matters
2007 - Shelter
2008 - Were the World Mine
2009 - A Single Man
2000 - Come Undone
2000 - Campfire (Bavo Defurne)
2005 - The Joy of Life
Mainstream:
(Most of these films are from festivals)
2000 - Big Eden
2000 - Broken Heart's Club
2000 - If These Walls Could Talk 2
2000 - The Next Best Thing
2001 - All Over The Guy
2001 - Circuit
2001 - Hedwig and the Angry Inch
2001 - Kissing Jessica Stein
2002 - Far From Heaven
2003 - Camp
2003 - Latter Days
2004 - De-lovely
2005 - Brokeback Mountain
2005 - C.R.A.Z.Y.
2006 - Gray Matters
2007 - Shelter
2008 - Were the World Mine
2009 - A Single Man