(no subject)

[sebastienne]

"Notes on a scandal"

Why do I like this film so much?

Judi Dench is marvellous, it's almost a given that I'll love anything she's in. But this is more: I became incredibly involved with this film. Why? It's essentially a cerebral/lesbian "Fatal Attraction".

Is real female/lesbian desire really so under-represented in the arts that I'm responding to this on that level alone?

Or does my aching & affected response mean that I am destined to grow into this character, the crazy cat-lady on the hill, the female Hector?

(Of course, Hector is a lovable character, his child abuse a foible to be forgiven, while Dench's Barbara is a psychotic & to be feared - can I read this as a comment on how comfortable cinema is with male vs female desire? Heh, you know I will anyway.)

The Oxford thing is interesting, actually - while Bennett's Oxford time hangs over The History Boys with all the obviousness of a central plot drive, this film, it turns out, is an Oxonian's adaptation of an Oxonian's novel. Homosexuality, obsession, & borderline-abusive dub-con sex. I know it's what I went to university for...

I've said it once before but it bears repeating now:

Where are the realistic representations of female/lesbian desire? Note that I don't even think it's worth asking that question about kinky/poly desire. Where is the art that reflects my life?

Comments

[neoanjou.livejournal.com]

Just an idea, but maybe write it yourself?

On a more serious note, I can't remember much about 'Oranges...' but that seemed quite realisitic from what I can recall. I haven't read much LGB fiction, but that's a seperate point isn't it... I mean if realistic respresentations are restricted to a subset of fiction, that's certainly not a good thing.

[slasheuse.livejournal.com]

I second this.

Lack of good lesbian representations is just.. everywhere. However, I think the best response is to try and produce some yourself (and that the compulsion/obligation to do so becomes greater the more its lack pisses you off). In the meantime, I suggest -

- Blogs.
- The music of kd lang and Gertrude "Ma" Rainey.
- The works and art of Harmony Hammond.

[sebastienne.livejournal.com]

Sad, pathetic thing is?

I wouldn't know how to.

Firstly, because there are no precursors. No genre or formula for me to slip into.

And secondly, because I can't do art anyway. I have no deep truths I want to convey about life. I just want to see feelings I can't put into words, put into words by those more eloquent than me. And I've seen it, many times, about many aspects of my life; but never about whom and how I love.

[foreverdirt.livejournal.com]

Shortbus (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367027/) does an excellent line in desire -- gorgeous, engaging portrayals of queer desire, female desire and poly desire, though kink got short shrift.

...um. Yeah. That's about it, really, isn't it?

Firstly, because there are no precursors. No genre or formula for me to slip into.

Wordy McWord Word.

[andustar.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I was so vastly entertained by Shortbus. It's an exception in many ways though... I'm not sure that seeing queer desire there really qualifies for the sort of thing Emma was talking about.

Notes on a Scandal - I really disliked this film, not because it was a bad film, but because sympathetic, human, convincing abusive relationshippy stuff makes me feel all icky inside. *twitch*

I walked out of Shortbus with a huge grin, but that film made me really uncomfortable in a bad way. There may have been some accompanying circumstances that caused that though, now I think of it. Might be open to reevaluating it.

[mejoff.livejournal.com]

BSG contained a remarkably well handled poly relationship that lasted nearly as many episodes as two totally het-norm marriages and, unlike them, fell to its inevitable doom through heavy plot rather than the characters' inability to cope with their relationship.

[pozorvlak.livejournal.com]

I've definitely seen some stuff presenting poly relationships in a somewhat-positive light, but the only title I can remember off-hand is The Kerouac Triangle, a play I saw at the 1997 Edinburgh Festival, which (as you can probably guess) was about the relationship between Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and Carolyn Cassady. Written, according to Google, by Vivien Devlin (http://www.esbc.org.uk/esbc/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.speakerdetail&idspeaker=1033).

*Googles*

Oh - this (http://www.greencine.com/webCatalog?id=15722) was the film I was trying to remember! Great fun, and highly recommended. I can't say how accurate a portrayal of a poly relationship it is, but it's a great heist movie. And here's a list of some more (http://www.greencine.com/list?action=viewList&listID=7531).

[half-of-monty.livejournal.com]

Is real female/lesbian desire really so under-represented in the arts that I'm responding to this on that level alone?

I wouldn't have thought so. I also adore the film and am probably less likely to respond so deeply just because of what it's portraying. There is also the fact that Judi Dench is so unutterably wonderful in it. It is by miles the best thing she's done[1], so it validates any Judi fan's hopes of what she could be. It's just the best piece of film acting I can think of, in any film about anything.

(Plus central character as villain, with whom the audience builds deep understanding and empathy and hence complicity. Which is a favourite theme of mine. It's just a wonderful wonderful film, and would be even if female / lesbian desire was represented well often.)

Not that this is really relevant to your central point, which is a good one, just thought I'd mention it.

[1] That I've seen, true, but I've seen quite a lot, including on stage.