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November 1994, Week 3

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Subject:
From:
Errol Vieth <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 21 Nov 1994 12:01:42 CST
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----------------------------Original message----------------------------
 
J Roberson wrote:
 
>Opinions and ideas about *The adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert* ?
>Anyone - from any angle. I won't give one of my own because I'd like to
>see anything - and elaborating on the topic is chancy given this flaky
>connection ;)
 
I enjoyed it because it was so different from the mainstream films that
come out of the US. That in itself has got to be a plus factor. It had
little of the very _heavy_ violence associated with many US films that are
not straight feel-good efforts. But what can anyone say about this film?
 
The feeling on leaving the theatre was that there were no easy answers.
The film made no statement about political correctness, about how it was
good to be gay, or a transsexual, or a cross-dresser. If anything, people
were very much the same in their hopes and dreams, and frustrations. They
dealt with their problems in inadequate, yet ways that were represented as
_human_. I guess the only bit that might be regarded as a bit of preaching
was the episode of the son, who accepted everyone no matter what their
level of queerdom.
 
So too the mandatory scene of the Oz equivalent of the rednecks in the pub.
The _poofter-bashing_ continues, but he/she was a fool to go there anyway.
Interestingly, we need no Robocop to shoot the assaulter's testicles off;
just a post-op transsexual. Quite capable of doing a good job, thank you
very much.
 
So now for some vaguely pretentious stuff: The film is a postmodern road
film. The bus, painted its fairly horrible puce, was the counterpoint to
the juggernauts of the Mad Max (aka Road Warriors I think), as were the
characters. Yet they were never oversize. So much for the postmodern bit.
 
 
The question must be asked: To what extent did this film, or _Muriel's
Wedding_, recreate the frightening interest in ABBA!! For that alone the
films stand convicted.
 
'Nuff said.
 
Errol Vieth

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