Beauty (2011)

Directed by: Oliver Hermanus | 99 minutes | drama | Actors: Roeline Daneel, Sue Diepeveen, Charlie Keegan, Deon Lotz, Albert Maritz, Michelle Scott

According to director Oliver Hermanus, the main character in ‘Skoonheid’ is not gay. Tell that to the jury in Cannes who awarded the film the “Queer Palm”, an award for films about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. According to Hermanus, François is not homosexual but “infatuated”, like a “fifteen year old”. In other words, he suffers from puppy love. Or something. Indeed, that would be enough to explain his obsession with the much younger Christian, and might also make for a very intriguing film, more in line with Thomas Mann’s novel ‘Der Tod in Venedig’, the story on which this film is loosely based. . ‘Skoonheid’ is still interesting – mainly because as a viewer you want to know where it all goes and ends – but it has become more of a “traditional” issue film about suppressing your (real) desires. Desires that involve a different – ​​or ambivalent – ​​sexual orientation. In short: about what can happen if you come into the closet and – for whatever reason – can’t or don’t want to come out. Further complexity is suggested but unfortunately not sufficiently supported by the film as a whole.

The opening shot is one to frame. More in a figurative sense, then, because the duration of the shot is essential here: during the party of his daughter’s wedding, François is peering around the room, until his gaze stops when his eyes meet the handsome young Christian. He continues to look at the boy admiringly, until the boy suddenly looks back and François quickly looks the other way. It is clear that François’s look – or thought – was one of forbidden desire and the course of the film can be guessed: François wants to conquer this boy and will therefore try to get as close to him as possible. Fine – and interesting enough to see how this will end – but the whole thing is quickly and ostentatiously squeezed into a context of repression and (anti-)homosexuality. Of course, in his immediate environment, condescending comments about homosexuals are made and of course he participates even harder himself. While he himself is also homosexual (or at least behaves that way). What an irony. That he is not only after young stuff but also really wants “male love” is proven by a scene fairly early in the film in which he, secretly of course, has a loveless orgy with a couple of equally “confused” male peers. The argument that he only wants sex with a young, beautiful person does not hold.

François is, apart from his excesses with men, with which he of course cheats on his wife, not exactly a sympathetic individual. He treats his wife unlovingly and hardly looks at his daughter. In addition, a visit to the doctor makes it clear that he has had violent impulses in the past, which, since his eye fell on Christian, he seems to be regaining. The viewer does not know how many “Christians” have already been there and which came before: his aggression or his frustrated desire. In any case, the film suggests that the former is a consequence of the latter.

You can throw different readings on the film, but none of them deliver a complete movie experience. From the point of view of lust, which is an important theme for Hermanus, François does not seem to be just about young, beautiful people, although in the end lust seems to be at the root of his feelings – among the young people he longs for. . It is also not the case that the society in Bloemfontein, as presented by the film, is so terribly orthodox or anti-gay that François cannot admit his sexuality. After all, we do see various public expressions of gay love in the film, without those involved being attacked or looked at strangely. Perhaps it is still a taboo for men of François’s age, but not for the youth of today and that François would have liked that he had been so young now and had simply been able to express his feelings openly to another man. One of the film’s final scenes seems to suggest such an interpretation. Or perhaps he mainly sees himself in the young boys of his desire and simply longs for his youth again.

It all remains a bit blurry and directionless to be able to see the intention of the maker(s). The film is, however, fascinating for at least an hour because of the calm build-up and accumulation of François’ voyeuristic actions, which you can feel are going in the wrong direction. This creates a certain, uncomfortable tension for a long time. The slow pace and lengthy scenes in which hardly anything happens (with semi-artistic shots such as a view of the road from the back of François’ pick-up) sometimes cause the film to collapse. If François’ feelings or frustrations could at least be better understood or read, the long shots of his face could add some extra value and depth. But even though the degree of empathy leaves something to be desired due to the somewhat swaying themes and background(s), it argues for ‘Skoonheid’ that the viewer remains interested in the actions and feelings of the main character for a long time. Unfortunately just not long enough.