Lights, Camera, Friction: Homosexuality in Film

Controversy in film typically parallels controversy in society. Therefore if something in controversial in society it will be controversial when they show it in a movie. Homosexuality was completely avoided by film until 1961 when the film Victim made history by being the first film to say homosexual, and continued to shock audiences by having an openly homosexual protagonist. Aside from this film, there are very few examples of homosexuality in film. Al Pacino starred in 1980's Cruising, a film about a cop who goes undercover as a homosexual to stop a killer. The most recent controversy has come in 2005's Brokeback Mountain. This film showed several scenes of explicit homosexual intercourse, and stirred up major debate amongst the supporters and detractors of homosexuality. Aside from these, there have been other films to discuss homosexuality, but most of these have only circulated throughout the homosexual community and avoid mainstream success. In spite of this, whenever a film about homosexuality does come up though, it is certain to spark lots of debate.