Midnight Cowboy moseys into UK cinemas again next month on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, and with it comes another opportunity to ask whether this is a film about homophobia or a homophobic film. At the risk of sounding perverse, I really don’t mind.
Saw your best film list in the New Statesman. Only heard of one of them Where on earth do get them from ? And how are people going to see them ?
johncoulthart I don’t think its homophobic at all. The two gay characters (the kid in the movie theater and the old man) are treated very sympathetically. It shows how miserable they are having to live in the closet
johncoulthart Midnight Cowboy changed my life at 18 and still resonates with me now, 30 years later. I've always been able to see it for what it is/was. The fashion for fashionable re-evaluation and casting everything as 'problematic' is a lazy, superficial insult .
Great examples of 20th Century sex education, but don’t forget “Advise and Consent” and “The Children’s Hour.”
Good article. Art, film and written fiction should be allowed to explore all kinds of characters and storylines without judgement or censorship. The onus is on the consumer, reader or viewer to react rationally.
Fantastic film, quality acting and a killer theme tune: