A new Week exploring queer cinema (VELVET GOLDMINE)

For this week a movie that actually hymns homosexuality and describes a time of freedome in sex and relationship, a time that, no matter how hard emos are trying, will never come back. The conservatism of the ’80’s has send us years back, and still we cannot overcome the obstacles heteronoramtivity poses. Todd Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine arrived in Cannes Film Festival and managed to charm everyone, leaving with an award for Artistic Contribution. And yes even if you don’t like the story you cannot do anything, but admit that the movie is beautiful.

Starting with the fact that the first pop-gay icon in the history of humanity, Oscar Wilde, descends from extraterrestrials, that left him on earth, the film flows into exploring glam rock’s story. The ’70’s just revive in its two hours, in full colour, passion and sexual tension. 1984: Arthur Stuart is a British journalist, working in New York, and he has to discover “What happened to Brian Slade” for his last article. Brian Slade was a huge icon of the ’70’s glam rock scene, making a great impact, especially when he collaborated with Curt Wild, the man that showed him the way and was his lover. Slightly Brian, is swallowed by his on stage persona, his fans, and he disappears, by faking his own death. Arthur was part of the glam rock followers, who were challenged to explore their sexuality and their normativity. Clothes, painted nails, make up and a whole different people appeared. Now in the conservative Reagan-Thatcher 80’s he has to remember and discover what happened to his adolescence’s hero.

The plot is a bit complicated, with a lot of people appear and the flashbacks make the labyrinth-like plot even harder to follow. But still it’s not the hardest thing. The story is simple, once the puzzle is completed, and Todd Haynes achieves to make us travel through his passions. Brian Slade is inspired by David Bowie and Curt Wild by Iggy Pop, and he is not afraid to make direct connections. But still Haynes desn’t care to show the gossips of the time, that’s why he distances himself from this comparison really early in the film. The theme of homosexuality surfaces in every sub-plot, but not as a protest, not in a fighting spirit. The film just questions the silly roles and tags that we put on ourselves all the time. More hermaphrodites than homosexual, Todd Haynes heroes just question what is normal and what we are presented as normal.

Apart from the close to perfection technical part, Haynes has a unique cast in his hands. Ewan McGregor as Curt Wild, bares it all once again and falls into the arms of Brian Slade. Then new-comer Jonathan Rhys Meyers magnitudes in the role of Brian Slade, and the director takes full advantage of his peculiar looks. Unfortunately he will need Woody Allen’s Match Point, tv’s Elvis and Tudors to arrive to the star status he deserves but still, in Velvet Goldmine he shows his whole star power. Toni Collete as Mandy Slade, Brian’s tormented wife, prepares us for what is going to follow, while Christian Bale makes his first mature steps as Arthur.

In combination with all the above, Velvet Goldmine arrives with a wonderful soundtrack, with covers of famous glam rock hits, interpreted here wonderfully by the two leads, Radiohead’s Thom York, Palcebo, Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry and Lou Reed. The songs and the video’s really help the movie distinguish and travel us in time. When I first saw the movie, I had really no idea of the period, no contact with the music, but I bought the album the next day and I nearly burnt the cd, by over-use. Here are just two of them, allthough the one Eye on Tv is just presented because of Ewan’s Full monty Show and I don’t think is in the best moments of the soundtrack. But it is the moment where Brian Slade fisrt lays eyes on Curt Wild, so he must have seen something…

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