While the end of the decade ushered in an explosion of gay rights movements, it’s no secret that the 1960s were not exactly the friendliest decade for LGBTQ people. When it comes to showing lesbians on film, there seemed to be a bit more wiggle room – in the same way laws were more punishing towards male homosexuality, the female variety seemed to be allowed to get away with being more openly about gay issues. Or you know, about peering into the lives of some “very close friends”… with benefits. The films that managed to get wide release in the ‘60s remain notable, both in their attempts to understand the plight of the gay community and serve as sometimes embarrassing reminders of how little progress we’ve made in cinematic representation.
In this episode, Bart and Jenna take a worldwide tour of lesbian cinema – specifically avoiding pornography and exploitation cinema, even though some of these blur the lines a bit. But nevertheless, they open their minds and hearts and experiment with a variety of films that explore the highs and lows of sapphic love.
The following films are discussed:• The Children’s Hour (1961) Directed by William Wyler Starring Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner
• Manji (1964) 卍(まんじ) Directed by Yasuzô Masumura Starring Ayako Wakao, Kyōko Kishida, Eiji Funakoshi
• The Cats (1965) Kattorna Directed by Henning Carlsen Starring Eva Dahlbeck, Gio Petré, Monica Nielsen
• The Fox (1967) Directed by Mark Rydell Starring Sandy Dennis, Anne Heywood, Keir Dullea
• Les Biches (1968) Directed by Claude Chabrol Starring Jacqueline Sassard, Stéphane Audran, Jean-Louis Trintignant
• The Killing of Sister George (1968) Directed by Robert Aldrich Starring Beryl Reid, Susannah York, Coral Browne
• Le Altre (1969) Directed by Alessandro Fallay Starring Erna Schurer, Monica Strebel, Raul LovecchioAlso mentioned:
• Walk on the Wild Side (1962) Directed by Edward Dmytryk Starring Jane Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck, Capucine
• The Balcony (1963) Directed by Joseph Strick Starring Shelley Winters, Peter Falk, Lee Grant
• The Haunting (1963) Directed by Robert Wise Starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson
• Persona (1966) Directed by Ingmar Bergman Starring Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Margaretha Krook
• The Nun (1966) La religieuse Directed by Jacques Rivette Starring Anna Karina, Liselotte Pulver, Micheline Presle
