Reflections in a Golden Eye

Reflections of a Golden Eye is not a fantastic film in itself. It doesn't show off a great script or groundbreaking acting. What it is though is something completely different. In a world that now is enamored of mind numbing CGI and artificiality this is a breath of fresh air in that everyone is acting and they know they're acting. They're trying to say something.

Okay, so maybe what they are saying isn't all that deep or new. Hell, repressed homosexuality is dated right? But there was a time when men didn't just come out of the closet and feel free to be gay. There was a time when we didn't talk about gay men except in a demeaning fashion.

Elizabeth Taylor is acting for the sake of acting. So is Brian Keith and Robert Forster. Robert Forster's character goes out in the woods and sunbathes nude and rides his horse bareback while nude. Now, does anyone do this? No! But this is the vision of the director and he's trying to show you that this activity makes this man feel free. And because he's enlisted in the army his life is regimented. Does any of this matter? No. I wouldn't call this an art film but in a way it is. The film is a work of art.

The most sane person in this group of people at a Southern Army base in peace time is a woman that everyone else considers disturbed or the verge of a nervous breakdown. But she isn't. She is the only one who is able to see how disturbed those around her truly are. And her companion is a gay Asian man who is totally dedicated to her. The bravest man around.

Don't watch this film unless you are willing to accept that it's an artist's vision. That even seems too pretentious for this. It isn't for everyone but there are people out there who appreciate what it's intent is.