Gay Directors, Gay Films? Pedro Almodóvar, Terence Davies, Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, John Waters

Description

Through intimate encounters with the life and work of five contemporary gay male directors, this book develops a framework for interpreting what it means to make a gay film or adopt a gay point of view. For most of the twentieth century, gay characters and gay themes were both underrepresented and misrepresented in mainstream cinema. Since the 1970s, however, a new generation of openly gay directors has turned the closet inside out, bringing a poignant immediacy to modern cinema and popular culture. Combining his experienced critique with in-depth interviews, Emanuel Levy draws a clear timeline of gay filmmaking over the past four decades and its particular influences and innovations. While recognizing the "queering" of American culture that resulted from these films, Levy also takes stock of the ensuing conservative backlash and its impact on cinematic art, a trend that continues alongside a growing acceptance of homosexuality. He compares the similarities and differences between the "North American" attitudes of Todd Haynes, Gus Van Sant, and John Waters and the "European" perspectives of Pedro Almodóvar and Terence Davies, developing a truly expansive approach to gay filmmaking and auteur cinema. Table of Contents ......Page 8 Preface......Page 10 Acknowledgments......Page 12 Introduction......Page 14 1. Pedro Almodóvar: Spain’s Enfant Terrible......Page 24 2. Terence Davies: Subjective Memoirist......Page 141 3. Todd Haynes: Deconstructive Queer Cinema......Page 183 4. Gus Van Sant: Poet of Lost and Alienated Youth......Page 223 5. John Waters: Queer as Trash and Camp......Page 315 Conclusion: Gay Directors—Who’s Looking and How?......Page 372 Notes......Page 388 Select Bibliography......Page 400 Illustrations ......Page 232