Lesbians and queer women in film
The portrayal of romance and sexuality for women in film is a series of sticky parameters of rules and expectations for how they should act and will be perceived. Queer women, in particular, fall victim to inaccurate representation that distorts the reality of LGBTQ+ romance.
Traditionally queer cinema was something only in the independent scene or was left as subtext purely. Gay men got their time in the spotlight sooner than queer women but were often depicted in an unhealthy and reckless light, seen as youths who lack proper parenting or require immediate help.
Films like Philadelphia and Brokeback Mountain brought forth more positive queer representation discussing topics like repression, bisexuality, and AIDs head-on in ways mainstream cinema had avoided until then. Moonlight broke boundaries for greater diversity in mainstream gay cinema.
As strides have been made over the last three decades to improve gay men on screen, the dial has moved slower for lesbians. That isn’t to say there aren’t film worth spotlighting or discussing however.
DirectHer spoke with some queer people about their experiences with some of the most impactful sapphic films and the accuracy of their portrayals.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a really interesting portrayal of the religious trauma inflicted by conversion camps in America. Set in 1993, the film focuses on the harrowing effects of parental abdomen and the oppressiveness of these religious camps. The movie doesn’t glamourise the sadness of the circumstances people but rather gives a realistic example of how day-to-day life functions in this environment, both the sadness of it and the moments of joy that can be found.
Mallory Smith, a History graduate from Edinburgh, expressed their admiration of Cameron Post: “It was a really nuanced and fresh take on the reality of LGBTQ+ teens in America. Both in the 90s and somewhat today these camps do still exist, but we never see them or their stories in media or dramatised to send a message. It’s always just news headlines about the scandals that come out.
“The movie helped shine a light on conversion camps and that dark reality but also the small joyful moments some the kids had there. And the added theme of religion and that trauma plays in really well for a multitude of reasons.”
Blue is the Warmest Colour is another monumental film for queer women on screen, that was unique and praised upon release. A lesbian relationship portrayed this in-depth and thoroughly was a rarity at the time, and still is in some ways. The film broke boundaries when in tackling these issues head-on.
In the decade-plus since its release though, Blue is the Warmest Colour has accumulated a series of controversies. The most prominent was when the behind-the-scenes circumstances of how the sex scenes were filmed was revealed.
Jules Aguilar, an LGBTQ activist in Sheffield, shared her mixed experience with the film: “It was great in breaking boundaries and showing girl-on-girl love, sex and romance on screen, which hadn’t been touched on very well before,
“But annoyingly, that isn’t to say Blue did make a great mark for lesbian representation as the actresses did express their discomfort on set filming sex scenes or anything without proper guidance.”
Despite the doom and gloom themes and endings of Cameron Post and Blue is the Warmest Colour, there is hope for more fun and joyful young queer girls on screen.
Bottoms took the typical high school movie and reframed it as a satirical openly queer film that explores the cringeworthyness of being a teenager trying to have so many different first experiences and explore your sexuality.
The Half of It explored coming out and exploration of sexuality during adolescence without taking a dark or deep turn. It portrays how confusing and fun as it is to be a teenager without getting bogged down in heavy themes.
Another bonus is that both these films buck the trend of overbearing whiteness in queer films, as both contain great portrayals of women of colour who are also queer.
Fatimah Lunat, a model in London, jokingly shared her one frustration with Bottoms and The Half of It: “I’m so annoyed these movies took so long to make now, and wish I had them as a closeted teenager!
“They are nothing special in storytelling because they are the average teen rom-com but they have the added gayness to it that just does wonders for relatable representation rather than something forced.”
Lesbian films also don’t need to solely focus on the queer experience. Love Lies Bleeding is a great example of this, where two explicitly lesbian characters without being traumatic or exploitative of their queerness, instead the conflict derives from family issues. It’s a crime film that has all the qualities of a great crime film with a queer tilt.
For a full breakdown of Love Lies Bleeding, read DirectHer’s review here.
There are still strides to be made for queer people across the spectrum on screen, but these films demonstrate the progress made even in the last number of years. This indicates that there is reason to be hopeful, as we look to the future of queer cinema.
Gay and queer men in film
Within mainstream cinema, gay and queer male characters were depicted in an unhealthy and reckless light, seen as youths who lack proper parenting or require immediate help. There are many films, especially within the past 15 years, who aim to battle the canon. Presenting healthy, loving but real gay and queer male relationships is important for representation and education.
Brokeback Mountain, (2005) became a poster film for LGBTQ+, seen as groundbreaking for entering mainstream film waves. It follows the story of two cowboys, played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger, who fall in love. Set during the 60s through to the 80s and in a society where being gay was shameful, it was a brave film to release and open discussions surrounding bisexuality, especially in men.
At its core, it was a story we have seen on our screens time and time again – when you remove gender it becomes just two people deeply in love who cannot be together. There are endless examples of heterosexual instances, and director Ang Lee expanded this to the LGBTQ+ community.
There is a huge problem when it comes to films depicting gay romances, and that is age gaps. There are various films where there is a younger, vulnerable male who enters a relationship with a more masculine, dominant older man – the most notable example being Call Me By Your Name (2017). Based on the novel of the same name, both the film and novel came under fire for pedophilic undertones and sparked conversations about the prevalence of this trope within the gay community. Elio, who is 17, engages in a sexual and romantic relationship with Oliver, who is 27, meaning they have an age gap of seven years. The heartbreaking and tender tale concerned audiences; although it shows a consensual relationship, the age gap and fact that Elio is a minor could be taken out of its context and promoted with ill intentions.
Moonlight (2016) transcended so many stereotypes and typical representations western cinema was adjusted to seeing. The film follows the story of Chiron and his journey of coming to terms with the fact he is attracted to other men. Another layer to this story is the fact Chiron is a young black man – it was the first film with an entirely African American cast
Black queer men are barely, if not ever, represented in cinema. If they are, they are stereotyped and their characters lack complexity. Director, Barry Jenkins, threw what we were seeing against the wall and bought cinema layered and important black and queer stories.
