Jean Genet
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| '''Jean Genet''' ([[December 19]], [[1910]] – [[April 15]], [[1986]]), was a [[prominent]], sometimes [[infamous]], [[France|French]] writer and later [[political activism|political activist]]. Early in his life he was a [[vagabond]] and [[petty]] [[criminal]]; later in life, Genet wrote novels, plays, poems, and essays, including ''[[Querelle de Brest]]'', ''[[The Thief's Journal]]'', ''[[Our Lady of the Flowers]]'', ''[[The Balcony]]'', ''[[The Blacks (play)|The Blacks]]'' and ''[[The Maids]]''. | '''Jean Genet''' ([[December 19]], [[1910]] – [[April 15]], [[1986]]), was a [[prominent]], sometimes [[infamous]], [[France|French]] writer and later [[political activism|political activist]]. Early in his life he was a [[vagabond]] and [[petty]] [[criminal]]; later in life, Genet wrote novels, plays, poems, and essays, including ''[[Querelle de Brest]]'', ''[[The Thief's Journal]]'', ''[[Our Lady of the Flowers]]'', ''[[The Balcony]]'', ''[[The Blacks (play)|The Blacks]]'' and ''[[The Maids]]''. | ||
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| + | '''''Un Chant d'Amour''''' ([[English language|English]]: ''A Song of Love'') is [[France|French]] writer [[Jean Genet]]'s only film, which he directed in [[1950 in film|1950]]. Because of its explicit (though artistically presented) [[homosexual]] content, the 26-minute movie was long banned and was also disowned by Genet later in his life. | ||
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| + | The plot is set in a French prison, where a prison guard takes [[voyeurism|voyeuristic]] pleasure in observing the prisoners perform masturbatory sexual acts. In two adjacent cells, there are an older [[Algerian]]-looking man and a handsome convict in his twenties. The older man is in love with the younger one, rubbing himself against the wall and sharing his cigarette smoke with his beloved through a straw. | ||
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| + | The prison guard, apparently jealous of the prisoner's relationship, enters the older convict's cell, beats him, and makes him suck on his gun in an unmistakably sexual fashion. However, the inmate drifts off into a fantasy where he and his object of desire roam the countryside. In the final scene, it becomes clear that the guard's power is no match for the intensity of attraction between the prisoners, even though their relationship is not consummated. | ||
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| + | Genet does not use sound in his film, forcing the viewer to completely focus on closeups of faces, armpits, and semi-erect penises. Originally produced as a pornographic movie of sorts, the film's highly sexualized atmosphere has been recognized as a formative factor for works such as the films of [[Andy Warhol]]. | ||
| + | **Cast: | ||
| + | *Java | ||
| + | *André Reybaz | ||
| + | *Coco Le Martiniquais ... Second dancing prisoner (uncredited) | ||
| + | *Lucien Sénémaud ... (uncredited) | ||
Revision as of 12:29, 18 May 2007
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Jean Genet (December 19, 1910 – April 15, 1986), was a prominent, sometimes infamous, French writer and later political activist. Early in his life he was a vagabond and petty criminal; later in life, Genet wrote novels, plays, poems, and essays, including Querelle de Brest, The Thief's Journal, Our Lady of the Flowers, The Balcony, The Blacks and The Maids.
Un Chant d'Amour (English: A Song of Love) is French writer Jean Genet's only film, which he directed in 1950. Because of its explicit (though artistically presented) homosexual content, the 26-minute movie was long banned and was also disowned by Genet later in his life.
The plot is set in a French prison, where a prison guard takes voyeuristic pleasure in observing the prisoners perform masturbatory sexual acts. In two adjacent cells, there are an older Algerian-looking man and a handsome convict in his twenties. The older man is in love with the younger one, rubbing himself against the wall and sharing his cigarette smoke with his beloved through a straw.
The prison guard, apparently jealous of the prisoner's relationship, enters the older convict's cell, beats him, and makes him suck on his gun in an unmistakably sexual fashion. However, the inmate drifts off into a fantasy where he and his object of desire roam the countryside. In the final scene, it becomes clear that the guard's power is no match for the intensity of attraction between the prisoners, even though their relationship is not consummated.
Genet does not use sound in his film, forcing the viewer to completely focus on closeups of faces, armpits, and semi-erect penises. Originally produced as a pornographic movie of sorts, the film's highly sexualized atmosphere has been recognized as a formative factor for works such as the films of Andy Warhol.
- Cast:
- Java
- André Reybaz
- Coco Le Martiniquais ... Second dancing prisoner (uncredited)
- Lucien Sénémaud ... (uncredited)
