30 | Out in the Mountains |0ctober 2000

Coming Out review continued from page twenty-nine

I won’t spoil the entire plot, but it is both were arrested by 0
both an emotional roller coaster and a the Nazis and sent to ’
tour of gay East Berlin, with real gay a concentration ’
bars, cruising areas, and personalities. camp (remem- ‘
Look for a cameo appearance by

Queen of the Desert crossed with Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, East angles?).

Cabaret), Philipp drinks himself into a Germany’s answer to Quentin Crisp The plot has one too many turns for
stupor to clear up his confusion and (the elder transvestite stars in her own my taste, and some of the twists
meets Matthias (remember him?- the film, Rosa von Praunheim’s I am My
suicidal teen who now seems to have Own Woman, 1992). There’s an
resolved his own problems with being older man at the end who lost

probably will be lost on the view-
er not steeped in Eastern
European life, but it’s most-
ly a good ride. There are
some very nice touches:

Philipp intervenes to help a

black man being beaten by neo-
fascists, but when he encounters
another group bashing a fag, he runs
away instead. He pushes his poet-
ry students to express their true
emotions, but of course can’t
do the same himself.
Aesthetically, the film cap-
tures the gray uniformity of
East European urban life, bro-
ken only occasionally by the
bright window of a gay bar or a
visit to the opera.

Freihof’s acting is right on.
- He reminds me a bit of James
Dean in Rebel Without a Cause:
alternately brooding and hysteri-

   
   
   
  
   
   
      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
  

the love of his life when

ber pink tri-

Philipp’s body that is the object of its
loving gaze. Though there’s no full
frontal nudity, the love scenes between
Philipp and Matthias are erotically
charged. Even the scenes of cruising,
whether in the park, orjust the surrepti-
tious look in a diner, are rendered with
perfect timing. It’s obvious the director
and the actor knew what they were
doing — both are gay. Freihof was
eager to play the role, since it dealt with
issues he had dealt with in his own life.

The plot is not as neatly tied up as
Hollywood plots, but in spite of occa-
sional inconsistencies and lapses info
maudlin excess, the film is very much
worth seeing —— both as a coming-out
story and as a glimpse into the East
European gay scene before the fall of
the wall. Rent it on one of those cold
gray days in November, curl up with a
friend under a blanket, have a shot of
vodka, and keep the handkerchiefs
nearby.

Kevin Moss is chair of the Russian
department at Middlebury College. V

cal, the emotions welling up just
under the surface until he cracks.
(Freihof is in a new gay film this
year: Zuriick auflos, which was
in the 2000 Berlin festival.) And
the camera loves him — even in
the scenes with Tanja, it’s

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

-my -~....,. .—...— '7 V _. .‘..._.,-...........,.... -.._.._....f.——,.—7.7..,_..,....

«UV M Lane Sleriest.
octo 631’ events.

.42 4-14. .I..~_.....;iz_r_x./.:.:.~.. .v’.:,:<, ,;,,‘,__’¥ , _.__,,,__‘,,,,,,,‘_,,.,,...- .«... - ,7_ra,.v ......

 

::.:,.x,:,-.-..-..:..v.,.- .e..v, n¥.:.'..\- .v.a-.

October 4, 7:30 pm

,.'
J‘
.u

 

Lark String Quartet

‘, UVM Recital Hall
October 11, 9 pm

1-HAT BOOK 51-ORE___ Marian McPartland

Cmd UVM Recital Hall

 THAT ANTIQUE CENTER

Used and Antiquarian Books, Antiques and
Collectibles Multi-Dealer Shop

Used and Out-of—Print Books, VT and NH

Books, Post Cards, Paper Ephemera, Glass,
A Linens, October 27, 7:30 pm

Vintage Clothing, Coins, Primitives, Pottery Red priest Baroque Ensemble
and more... Something for Everyone! «Nightmare in Venice»

 Usually..Mon-Sat 1o:oo-a:oo. Sun 11:00-8:00  Recital 

October 15, 7:30 pm
Doc Watson with Rani Arbo and
Daisy Mayhem
Flynn Theatre

 

* ." '4J,~=- -.'<«‘_.

 

Railroad Street, St Jahmbiry, VT 05819
802.748.1722 - zrnailnbseplainfi ".bypass.aovu

 
 

htfp://www.a||I-om¢s.?o/tlmatbookstore . ‘ a n e
 3 ‘Po
  ., 0 -‘
LOOKING FOR GREAT ENTERTAINMENT AT A § 
* PRICE THAT FITS YouR BUDGET? * * 0 ' -
WWW.THEENTERTAlNMENTSOLUTlON.COM 3., .“’ Tlckets/Informauon
«r,,,,a,\,_,,<~ 802-656-4455

 

INNOVATIVE ENTERTAINMENT PLANNlNG...MADE EASY!

;. ‘.-g‘=*. -«Ir 'fi\<¢.l'r.:K'-