Gender and Sexuality in Movies

Gender and Sexuality
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Gender and Sexuality
The three movies, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Flaming Creatures, and My Hustler, appear to be controversial in the eyes of common viewers. This is because they have scenes that several people perceive to be obscene or either promoting gay or lesbianism. However, one thing that is indeed clear from the three movies is that the movies highlight the aspect of gender and sexuality in an unconventional manner. For instance, from a conventional viewpoint, same-sex companionship is perceived as a taboo and abomination in many communities. Such perceptions still continue in the 21st century, even after same-sex activists have come out openly to acknowledge their status.
In Portrait of a Lady on Fire, for instance, same-sex romance seems to be highlighted through Marianne and Héloïse’s companionship (Sciamma, 2019). One key point from Marianne and Héloïse’s bonding in the movie, however, is that they don’t seem to have the freedom to openly show their feeling for each other in front of other people except for Sophie. It is evident from the movie that Marianne, Héloïse, and Sophie seems to freely mingle when they are alone in the house, and this is apparent in one scene where Héloïse overlooks her status as Marianne’s boss and instead joins her in preparing food while Sophie, the maid sits on a chair knitting.
Through the three characters, Sciamma, the director of the movie, is showing the public how gender affects sexuality. Marianne and Héloïse show their affection for each other freely when they are alone and hide their feelings for one another when they are joined with the rest of the family. Here the director insinuates that the female gender usually finds it hard to openly show their sexuality, especially when they have affection for people of the same gender as theirs, as is the case with Marianne and Héloïse.
In Flaming Creatures, Jack Smith, director of the movie, uses clothing to highlight the conventional aspect of gender and sexuality. In the movie Flaming Creatures, some perceived male creatures are showcased in female attires that indicate their sexuality as lesbians (Smith, 1963). Also, some creatures in attire...