Fortune and Men's Eyes

I saw this in the Cosmo (pre GFT) in Glasgow one afternoon. The original and still the best movie on prison sex. Kept me to the straight and narrow! Powerful, unpleasant, occasionally verging on crudeness. Definitely best viewed after some libation. Not a date movie. Recommended - once.

Theme of homosexuality and rape in prison was very daring for its time (1971). You could feel the pain of the lead character as he succumbs to the brutal advances of his cellmate, while longing for his girlfriend.

I saw the movie when it first came out, and I still remember the line uttered by a prisoner as he observes a gang rape- "Nobody's going to stop a man from getting his oats." It's one of my all-time favorite quotes from films.

'Fortune and Men's Eyes' is a film which I recommend as interesting viewing for anyone who wishes to watch an early story of important gay cinema.

It's author, the late playwright Jonhn Herbert, is an icon of gay writing.

This is a story based on John Herbert's own unfortunate true experience as an inmate as a teenager in a penal institution in Canada, wrongly imprisoned after being the victim of gay bashing. It is a play that later became a film.

I recommend that you watch this film despite the fact that it is old, to say the least.

I saw this film shortly after its release, when I was around 18 years old, and many of the scenes went right over my head. Watching it again now, I am amazed at how many scenes have stuck in my mind (especially the harrowing ending). Although (not surprisingly) dated, and clearly made on a very low budget, this film has a remarkable way of pacing the action and building tension: for instance, the almost-hallucinatory prison Xmas party seems to be going on forever until it suddenly erupts in violence.

In 1971, people were excited (or outraged) about the homosexual scenes, but I think it would be wrong to think that the film is "about" homosexuality. For me, it is about power structures in what Goffmann has called a "total institution". Sexuality, or rather rape, is just another tool to maintain power, along with violence and trade in tobacco and drugs.

It's a raw, brutal and uncomfortable film, and well worth watching.

I own Fortune And Men's Eyes and I must say it is a terrific movie.After renting it several times I decided to buy it,and I'm very happy that I did.Smitty(Wendell Burton)is sentenced to six months in prison for smoking pot.While he is in prison he learns what it takes to stay alive.Michael Greer plays Queenie,a drag queen that shares the same cell with Smitty,along with two other homosexuals,Rocky and Mona.I have seen Michael Greer in two other movies,The Gay Decievers(which I also own)and The Rose.It was great to see him without a wig for a change!I think Michael is a great actor.Doing the math from the year he was born,1943,he must be in his fifties now.Rocky is actually the bad guy in the film.He tries to force Smitty into being his lover,and eventually Smitty has to fight back to protect himself.The movie based on homosexuality in prison.Made in 1971,four years before I was born,it is a great classic,maybe not so well known but for sure a great movie.If you have'nt seen it do see it,take my word for it,you will not be disappointed!