We all struggle with identity, being caught between who we want to be and what everyone would prefer us to be. We’ll all come to an age where we don’t have the slightest idea who we are as people. We may realise who we are, act as who we are, but to the dismay and disrespect of others, sometimes we can shrug it off, tell ourselves their opinions of you don’t matter, but sometimes you come across people with hatred so fierce and so inhuman, it’s a battle to just be anyone at all.
In searching for films to review for the ‘Gender / Sexuality’ issue, one of my friends recommended ‘Boys Don’t Cry’, ironically, I was a wreck after 2 hours. Though the story is dark, unforgiving and will leave you sobbing after the credits role, I would say it’s one of, if not the most important film about gender and sexuality. The film opens your eyes and keeps them open as you witness the bigotry and coldness trans individuals face, by the end of the film you realise there’s still a long way to go for everyone to feel okay as they are.
‘Boys Don’t Cry’ is a biopic of Brandon Teena, a trans man who falls in love with Lana Tisdel. Throughout the relationship, Brandon tries to keep his birth gender a secret from Lana and their friend group, having experienced death threats and attempted assault because of being trans. Though Lana has no objection to Brandon’s identity, their friend group soon discover the truth and despite their fond memories of each other, decide to persecute Brandon in one of the most horrific and lifeshattering acts I’ve ever seen on film. This film is not for the faint of heart.
Hillary Swank plays Brandon, I don’t know how she did it, but she completely blends into this role. She plays the role with a kind of teenage innocence, her performance reminded me most of Ponyboy in ‘The Outsiders’, which makes it all the more depressing as you watch her put a brave face on in scenes where Brandon feels like he has to go along with the flow. Chloe Sevigny plays Lana, her experience playing broken characters like Jennie in ‘Kids’ really pays off here. You can see Lana has just stopped caring and has given up on her future long ago, because of that, her romance with Brandon is the most beautiful part of the film. Peter Sarsgaard, who you may know from ‘Garden State’ or ‘Black Mass’ plays John, the major villain who plunges his hand deep in your chest and crushes your still-beating, still-bleeding heart. You’d be forgiven for mistaking John as a friend, Sarsgaard portrays him well, hiding any dark and sadistic attitudes towards people going through Brandon’s journey. As always, though, true colours are revealed and you see John for the hatemonger he is.
Heavy trigger warning: ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ contains scenes of sexual assault, don’t easily choose this film, but if you do sit down and watch it…
Mason’s Top 3 Reasons To Watch ‘Boys Don’t Cry’
- A raw, unrelenting look at the pain and suffering some trans people are forced to experience
- A performance by Hillary Swank that rivals her roles in ‘Million Dollar Baby’, ‘Freedom Writers’ and ‘I Am Mother’
- A pure, beautiful romance that doesn’t define itself through gender roles or significant other terms. Just two people who love each other for who they are
Mason Horsley is a graduate of UOW with a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Arts, majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Theatre. He hopes to write and direct a feature film and has been working on screenplays since he was 17. He writes film reviews for the Tertangala and works on his latest project ‘The Last Film’ while working a full-time job at a fish market. Mason despises reviewing films he dislikes and because of this, every review he writes acts as a recommendation.
Image Credit: IMDb
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