Filmes de Interés Gay

. . " to reach audiences
through their hearts,
their minds, and their
genitals." . . .

Almodovar has stated he wants to reach audiences through "their hearts, their minds, and their genitals." In 'Law of Desire', he more than fulfills this challenge,

Released in 1987, The Law of Desire primarily revolves around gay theatrical director Pablo Quintero (Eusebio Poncela) and his dangerous affair with obsessed stalker Antonio Benitez (Antonio Banderas). As the film opens, the 40-year-old director pines for young Juan Bermudez, but he realizes that his twenty-something bi-sexual partner can never fully reciprocate his love. Juan decides to sort things out and relocates to an isolated lighthouse. When Juan's first letter home doesn't satisfy, Pablo composes a more romantic letter that expresses melancholy longing and sends this back to Juan with instructions for him to sign and mail this back to him. This fake typewritten love memo provides a pivotal plot device.

Despite being lovesick for Juan, Pablo continues his sexually promiscuous lifestyle, and Antonio soon attaches himself to the filmmaker--far too clingy for Pablo's taste. This time the younger man lusts voraciously for the filmmaker, and is willing to do whatever he can to be with his man (reminiscent of Glenn Close's psychotic obsession in Fatal Attraction). When Antonio comes across Juan's sad, yearning love note, all Hell breaks loose. Neither Pablo's nor Juan's life will ever be the same as a result of this tragic three-way unrequited love triangle.

A subplot involves Pablo's transsexual sister Tina (Carmen Maura), who has a humorous moment with a lascivious priest that fondly remembers her pure voice when "she" served as an alter boy. Additional surprises are revealed, though these won't shock Almodovar devotees. A vivacious actress who is taking care of her ex-lover's daughter, Tina prepares for her brother's next play, The Human Voice (that forms the basis of Almodovar's next film, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown).

The Law of Desire contains plenty of Almodovar touches and is brightened considerably by the acting talents of Maura and Banderas, it's no puzzle to see why Almodovar employed these two in multiple films. American audiences more familiar with Banderas' low key supporting role to Tom Hanks in Philadelphia can revel in wide-eyed amazement over his full raging homoerotic lust in this 1987 film. Banderas' intensity transforms what could have been bizarre off the wall melodrama into a provocative psychological study about the potential devastating cost of wanton love. Law of Desire is among the most powerful of Almodovar's early works.

Almodovar clearly demonstrates that weighty subject matter need not be presented in a meditative manner. Light-hearted touches often deliver more effectively--just like life. In the finale Almodóvar cuts to the massed policeman and interested onlookers (including Tina) arrayed on the street below. All look up towards the window as Almodóvar undertakes a hugely elegant tracking shot that reveals the crowd to be as immaculately and artificially arranged as the cast of some Broadway musical (opera might be more to the point). Then, in an unexpected, brilliant move—he cuts to show the front of the building, as the assembled cast (including Tina) rushes to climb the scaffolding, Keystone Cops-style. Freeze-frame on the madness, and Fin. Viva Pedro, indeed.