| It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives | |
|---|---|
Film poster |
|
| Directed by | Rosa von Praunheim |
| Produced by | Werner Kließ |
| Written by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Robert van Ackeren |
| Editing by | Jean-Claude Piroué |
| Studio | Bavaria Atelier |
| Release date(s) |
|
| Running time | 67 minutes |
| Country | Germany |
| Language | German |
It Is Not the Homosexual Who Is Perverse, But the Society in Which He Lives (German: Nicht der Homosexuelle ist pervers, sondern die Situation, in der er lebt ) is a 1971 German camp film directed by Rosa von Praunheim. The plot follows the adventures of a young gay man.
Contents |
Daniel, a young man from the provinces come to the city and moves from one gay subculture to the next. His adventures begin on the streets of Berlin, where the shy brunette Daniel meets the blonde Clemens, who invites him home for coffee and offers him a place to stay. Soon Daniel is living with Clemens and believes he has found the love of his life. The two try to imitate a bourgeois marriage and its lifestyle. But after four months of tedium, Daniel is cruised by a rich older man who entices him to move into his villa, where he encounters a group of older gays, pretentious in their appreciations of fine art and classical music, who fawn over him.
Progressively disenchanted, Daniel realizes that his rich friend is only using him as a plaything. He leaves to work in a gay café and learns to dress fashionably with ostentatious outfits. He spends his free time at a swimming pool. Two years later Daniel is no longer content with meeting men in elegant cafés, boutiques, and beaches; but, now seeks out pickups at the bars for quick sex. He moves on to dark lit parks where older leather-men congregate. He finally descends to the public toilets where hustlers hang out as well as frustrated, closeted types and aging gays who are no longer attractive; the latter only end up being beaten by punks.
At a bar frequented by transvestites, Daniel meets Paul who takes him to his commune where a group of men, lying around naked, openly criticize their superficial, closeted lifestyles, sexual hangups, fashion, and conformity. Calling for gay emancipation, they advocate social engagement and collective organization against discrimination.