Straightwashing: How the film industry "adapts" LGBT heroes
In cinemas continues to go The film "Bohemian Rhapsody" is formally the story of the Queen group, but in fact, of course, first of all, Freddie Mercury's biopic. From the very beginning, the film had a difficult fate: first, the leading actor was changed - Sasha Baron Cohen, whose name has long been associated with the project, according to rumors, had different views with group members Brian May and Roger Taylor, who participated in the work on the film. Then Ben Wishaw was to play the movie, until finally the main role was given to Rami Malek. Already last December, at the height of filming, the director of the film, Brian Singer, was fired for unprofessional behavior at the site (according to the director himself, he was going through a difficult period) - Dexter Fletcher finished his work for him.
SASHA SAVINA
In addition to the difficulties of production, the film was accompanied by a strict reaction of critics, spectators and fans of the group. Already the first movie trailer was accused of straightwashing - this word means situations when the image of the LGBT character is deliberately adjusted to fit better in heterosexual cultural norms (in other words, the hero is deprived of a part of his identity). According to many viewers (including Brian Fuller’s show-runner Hannibal and American Gods), although the trailer shows that Freddie Mercury was in relationships with both women and men, much more attention was paid to the woman — and that the hero's sexuality is actually more difficult, hints at only one quick shot.
Of course, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the whole film on the one and a half minute trailer - but the disputes did not subside even after the premiere. Even if we discard the discrepancies in the plot of "Bohemian Rhapsody" with the facts (in the end, biopics is not a documentary film), then, as depicted in the film, Mercury raised questions for many. The whole family’s theme goes through the whole film, and it leaves an imprint on how the soloist Queen’s personal life is displayed. Parting with Mary Austin, the musician tells her that she is bisexual, to which the woman categorically cuts off, that he is gay. After this parting, Freddie’s “fall” begins with endless parties and occasional connections, until he finally meets a reliable partner Jim Hutton (who refuses to mess with him without serious intentions), that is, the same family.
The reality, although it repeats this plot in general, is more complex and full of nuances. Freddie Mercury never spoke publicly about his orientation. He met with both women and men, and at the end of his life both important partners remained with him - and Mary Austin ("Love of My Life" was really written about her, even though their relationship turned into friendship), and jim hatton. Perhaps Mercury was indeed gay, but he could not admit this to himself and others: much more homophobic mood reigned in society than today (homosexuality in the UK was decriminalized only in 1967). To admit that he has AIDS, Freddie Mercury decided only shortly before his death - considering how stigmatized the disease is today, it was a very bold step and, above all, a safety issue, especially for a public person. Perhaps, in fact, Freddie was bisexual - but the answer to this question definitely will not work today. And although the film is hard to blame for “clean” straightwashing, it's hard to deny that the hero is confined to the framework of heteronormative stereotypes that attribute the gay community a frivolous approach to relationships. It is at least strange to distinguish between the “family” and “riotous” side of Mercury's personality, considering, for example, that he met Jim Hutton in a gay club.
The film can tell the story of LGBT characters, but through the lens of heterosexual canons
“Unfortunately, avoiding the“ heterosexualization ”of LGBT characters is difficult if you don’t know the specifics of the life of queer people from the inside and do not follow the preservation of authenticity purposefully - for example, attracting experts from the LGBT community, says Sasha Kazantseva, co-founder of the LGBT zina - So, in the film “Girl from Denmark", Lesda and Lily depicted lesbian relationships as heterosexual. Plus, this film was criticized for ciswashing (likening transgender characters to cisgender people) - an improbable image of transgender black heroine ".
Of course, the most common story is when LGBT characters simply do not appear in the cinema, although there is a primary source that is screened. Examples are very easy to find - from the Sixties Breakfast at Tiffany (the narrator is possibly homosexual, but this subtext disappears in the film) to the recent Black Panther and Torah: Ragnarok, where the lines about homosexuality and bisexuality of the heroines were simply removed. There are also more subtle manifestations of straightwashing - when the film tells the story of LGBT characters, but through the prism of heterosexual canons. “When I watched Adel’s Life, I couldn’t get rid of the idea that the creators had a very distant view of lesbian relationships,” says Sasha Kazantseva. “Afterwards, she read that they really didn’t use real homosexuals in the production of the film. which was filmed “Life Adele" and which in the end was not allowed to edit the script, directly stated that the film forgot to show lesbians. In general, the film received a lot of criticism: for the fact that the heterosexual director rather showed his fantasies than real relationships of women; for complaints by actresses about exhausting filming of sex scenes; for pink face (by analogy with blackface) - a phenomenon when heterosexual and cisgender people play LGBT characters. "
Another vivid example of such actions is the 2015 film by Roland Emmerich. Drama talks about the Stonewall Uprising, one of the most important events in the history of the struggle for LGBT rights - while instead of the transgender black woman Marsha Pi Johnson, who started the rebellion, gay Danny, the main character and fictional character, throws the first stone to the police. Emmerich himself, in response to criticism, stated that he needed a white gay hero to attract more viewers and make the film “clearer” for the masses: “Understand, I shot this film not only for homosexual people - I shot it for heterosexuals "During the screen test, I found out that it is easier for heterosexual people to understand Danny. He looks and behaves like a heterosexual. Because of this, he is abused. Heterosexual viewers can understand his feelings."
Sometimes the story of LGBT characters is attempted to be made more “heterosexual” when promoting the film and in promotional materials. So it was, for example, with "Carol", whose advertising was considered too "frank" for the "family" TV channel ABC due to the fact that there were nude heroines in the video (although only their backs and arms were visible in the frame, but not the chest) . At the same time, Fifty Shades of Gray trailers quietly appeared on the channel. To the film “Call me with your name”, telling about the relations of two gays, the studio released a promotional picture, where a quote about the love of the heroes accompanies the photograph of Timothy Shalame and Esther Garrel - there is also a relationship between them, but it is clear that they are doomed.
Studios are not ready to risk international gathering, especially considering that not all countries treat the topic of LGBT people in the cinema calmly
It may seem that all these claims are “cavil”, because LGBT heroes appear in the cinema, albeit not yet in multi-million Marvel blockbusters, but in dramas with a more modest audience. "LGBT people have very few cultural images with which they could relate to themselves or their relationships, thanks to which they could feel less alone. It’s probably hard to imagine when you see people in their cinema orientation constantly, but the impossibility to find in mass culture "soul mate" is very depressing, - says Sasha Kazantseva. - Therefore, it is especially insulting when real historical characters are straightened: it is not only disrespectful towards the life of the people portrayed, but also deprives LGBT people of the opportunity to zhki ". In any case, it is difficult to talk about full adoption, when only heterosexual heroes are considered universal, and an LGBT person necessarily needs to be “adapted” - otherwise the audience will not be able to love him.
Do not forget about money. The studios are not ready to risk international gathering, especially considering that not all countries treat the topic of LGBT people in the cinema calmly. So it was with a remake of "Beauty and the Beast": Disney announced that the film would have a gay character, but ultimately this line turned out to be more than modest - Lefu, the hero of Josh Gad, just dances with a man in one of the scenes. And even this minimal change seriously affected the rental: in Russia, the film received a rating of "16+", in Malaysia, where homosexuality is punishable by law, insisted that the scene should be cut out - and allowed to leave it only under public pressure.
It is not surprising that in the case of “Mulan”, which is also being re-shot with live actors, the studio went further and completely removed possible hints of LGBT heroes. In the original cartoon, Mulan changes into a man to go to a military camp instead of his father. There she meets Li Sanga, who begins to communicate with her as a man, and then falls in love with her when she finds out that she is a woman. Many people regard this as a sign of his bisexuality - after all, he became interested in Mulan, even when he did not know the whole truth. Another idea of bisexuality of the hero seems strained (in the end, the possibility of friendship between the characters has not been canceled), but Disney reinsured: in the new version of the story, instead of Lee Shang, Mulan will have another lover with whom she will compete - and no hint of LGBT overtones .
The film industry is still inert in many ways - and continues to reproduce similar stereotypical images. And while the studios are afraid of financial losses, it is at least strange to expect that the cinema will fully accept the LGBT community. It is unlikely that we will truly recognize LGBT heroes while the films erase the "uncomfortable" parts of the characters' personality that do not fit into the sleek storyline. But it is possible that you just have to wait - until the share of moviegoers for whom accuracy is important will become critical.
PHOTO: 20th Century Fox, UPI, Memento Films
