Celluloid Closet . Tucson Weekly . 05-30-96

Celluloid Closet

DIRECTED BY: Jeffrey Friedman, Robert Epstein

REVIEWED: 05-30-96

This terrific documentary traces both the overt and covert portrayal of lesbians and gays in the movies from the freedom of silent era, to the middle of the century (when same-sex relationships in the movies usually ended in death), to today, when a gay character actually has a chance of surviving! This movie is full of wonderful clips and intriguing, behind-the-scenes glimpses from actors and screenwriters. Learn all about the secret love-plot embedded in Ben Hur from Gore Vidal; hear about the obsessive lesbian yearning of the housekeeper Mrs. Danvers in Hitchcock's Rebecca from Susie Bright. Best of all, hear Susan Sarandon talk about the triumph and trials of bedding Catherine Deneuve.

--Stacey Richter

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