El hombre herido

L'Homme Blesse is not for an impatient, adventure-seeking audience. There are no explosions nor is the drama straightforward. Like the films of Lynne Ramsey, the director is working more deeply with mood than with storytelling in a manner that is effective and incredibly moving. Because it does not rely on gratuitous nudity, or superficial pop-cult. story lines, this is quite frankly one of the best gay foreign film I have seen (also, see Francois Ozon, Pedro Almodovar). Nicolas Roeg's "Don't Look Now" gets a lot of bad press because it is sold as a horror film. That film, like L'Homme, is more than what the box might lead you to believe. If you are in the mood to sit back and be absorbed by the subtle, transformed powers of cinema, you'll love this movie.

When this showed at the Seattle Int'l Film Fest I was the only person standing and clapping and cheering. The rest of the crowd booed or was silent. It is a well played small film that reaches deep into the reality of a young gay man's humanity. It is about a real man; and does not play to the insipid hyper-buffed muscular "gay paositive" that passes for the genre of non-porn Gay cinema (and that is why so much of contemporary Gay genre movies are so dull). This movie is Intense Passsion and Great Tragedy. The acting and directing and cinematography is fantastic; it all keeps the film clastrophobic and tense and passionate. Don't miss this if you can find it.

Before "Betty Blue", the male star of that film - JH Anglade - made this even darker romance about the love of a naive, desperately lonely young man for an older male hustler. Its a beautiful film with relaxed nudity and highly erotic sex scenes between the excellent male leads.

But its also a very dark and sinister movie. Its a film of extreme passions with a raw, violent finale which is poignant as well as disturbing. Its a film which contemplates the collision of impassioned, yearning-for-love youth with the jaded, cynical ruthlessness of youth lost in the figure of the older hustler. Its not a pleasant film but its nonetheless one of the most highly charged erotic gay films ever made with an intelligent script and a powerful narrative force as the two men seek to find their own way to survive. Anglade's heartfelt performance as the intense, brooding and determined young man is soulful.

This movie is very interesting . I was very intrigued the passion and attraction between these 2 guys but also kind of catastrophic passion that emerged in a city so full of crime and dispersion! Even made in 1982, I give a great credit for the story and the way this Director brought this film and gave to the audition one strong idea about real life in those times so well done!

A fine performance by Vittorio Mezzogiorno and a masterful one by Jean-Hugues Anglade adorn this stange tale of lust, desire and alienation in France. The work of the two lead performers is striking--subtle, intense and passionate. Alas, the script is deliberately turgid and sordid, and the overall effect leaves one with a downcast spirit. Still, those who can appreciate fine quality acting will be able to savor the courageous work of the leads in this often difficult film journey of Gallic low life.