Q&A: Steven Paul Davies, author of Out at the Movies: A History of Gay Cinema

By Antonio Pasolini

The book maps out the history of gay cinema by dividing it into phases - could you describe the historical moments of gay screen representation?

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, gay characters were usually cast as the leading man's effeminate buddy or as the sissy, with their orientation understood, but never discussed. Later, especially from the late 50s through to the 70s, gay characters always seemed to be portrayed as emotional wrecks, many of them suicidal. Throughout the decades, however, there were always a handful of films which broke new ground â€" Victim (1961), Making Love(1982) and And the Band Played On (1993) to name just a few. Real progress was also made with the rise of independent cinema in the 80s - films like Parting Glances (1986) and Poison (1991). Then, soon after these indie achievements, big Hollywood studios began embracing gay-themed movies with films such as Philadelphia (1993) and, of course, Brokeback Mountain (2005), a total triumph and monumental moment in gay film history.

I once interviewed a director who defined gay cinema as the one when homosexuality is the centre of the film's conflict. Would you agree with that?

Not entirely - I would agree that 'gay cinema' usually describes films that have homosexuality as the centre of the film's conflict, although in my book I have also covered films that are loved and adored by gay audiences but without a typical 'gay storyline'. The obvious example is The Wizard of Oz. I think there's a real shift and the ideal would be to reach the point where the sexuality is incidental, as in Simon Callow's description of his character in Four Weddings, rather than a niche where it is the main event in a movie. We need Gay and lesbian characters who are not simply defined by their sexual orientation.

There is a big market of independent gay films both in Europe and America, quite often spiked with ironic stereotyping. Is this a sign that contemporary gay audiences have come of age and are happy to laugh at themselves?

I think so. There was a definite shift in the tone of indie films from the mid-90s, as a reaction to the independent 'Aids Cinema' of the late 80s. More recently, with the explosion of gay images on mainstream TV â€" Queer as Folk, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Will & Grace etc - filmmakers suddenly found it easier to get their gay-themed films made, indie and mainstream filmmakers. A whole host of gay and lesbian film festivals began to crop up all around the world and, by the late 90s, more gay movies were being made than ever before. The gay underground is quickly becoming obscured by the gay mainstream, and gay identity seems to have been scrubbed clean by a lot of indie filmmakers.

How do you compare American and European gay cinema?

I think on the whole, from the 60s onwards, gay filmmakers across many European countries produced more artistically, significant queer-themed films than their American counterparts. A lot of European gay cinema seems to look at conflicts between classes and generations. I love the films of Visconti, Pasolini and Fassbinder as well as Derek Jarman, and Almod�var.

Do you think the advent of internet-based participatory television such as YouTube had a positive impact on the propagation of gay imagery and narratives and have these somehow influenced cinematic production?

YouTube has had a positive impact on all cinematic production, not just gay narratives. In fact, I have just been involved in the making of a new short film for the Rural Media Company and our main launch will be on YouTube and social networking sites.

Let's talk about contemporary Hollywood. It did embrace Brokeback Mountain, perhaps because it was a sad, tragic story. Do you think Hollywood is ready for a happy same-sex love story?

To be honest, I've never been a huge fan of Hollywood gay films - I hated Philadelphia, a vehicle for Tom Hanks to win yet another Oscar but preferred And the Band Played On which didn't have Philadelphia's homo-ignorance and preachy tone, its passion and anger makes for a far more powerful and engrossing film.

Since the 1990s, Hollywood has improved its portrayal of gay and lesbian characters. The popularity of films such as To Wong Foo, Flawless and In & Out demonstrates that audiences can and do enjoy films with gay and lesbian characters. But despite these advances, the industry is still too cautious in its portrayals of gay themes, characters, and experiences. I'm looking forward to seeing how I Love You Philip Morris turns out. Ewan McGregor and Jim Carrey playing gay.

Out At The Movies is out now on Kamera Books. Please follow the links provided on the left to buy a copy.