L'Homme Blesse

Rating:
Summary: "What I Did For Love"
Review: "L'Homme Blesse" is a deeply affecting portrait of human loneliness and alienation that transcends its grittily realistic depiction of the French gay underworld of street hustlers and sex in dark corners. Its themes of isolation, unrequited love and the search for meaningful connections are universal, and are displayed in this film with enormous sensitivity and power.

The main character's struggle is one that most of us have encountered; that being, loving someone who is clearly not right for us, who is trouble with a capital T, and who will eventually lead us down a dark and destructive path. But the character's gnawing hunger for affection and belonging blinds him to those simple truths. In one scene, the character, who turns street hustler and thief to please the one he loves, offers money to another man just for a kiss. His loneliness is tangible and pervades and drives the action of the film.

The ending of this film is boldly powerful and is consistent with the self-destructive road that the character is forced to take to fulfill his aching need for love. It demonstrates the very fine line between love and hate, between the need and the anger, between hope and hopelessness, and between self esteem and self loathing. Although unremittingly bleak and sad, the film is brilliantly directed and acted. It is a film that is both moving and harrowing.

Rating:
Summary: Just don't buy this DVD...
Review: Disatisfaction guarantee!
Extremely poor DVD quality almost kills this outstanding film.
VHS would be much better.

Rating:
Summary: Just don't buy it...
Review: Disatisfaction guarantee!
Extremely poor DVD quality almost kills this superb film.
VHS would be much better...

Rating:
Summary: Alienated Loner Hitches His Hopes
Review: L'homme blesse (The Wounded Man) is a melancholy French film showing the progression from emptiness to hopefulness to despair of a young man seeking to build a new life, but with the wrong boyfriend.

Henri Borowiecki (played by the best actor in the film, Jean-Hughes Anglade) coexists with his indifferent family in a city. On a trip to the train station to see his sister off somewhere, he comes into contact with dangerous, sexy Jean Lerman (played by Vittorio Mezzogiorno) in a men's room and makes himself noticed by a rich voyeur, Bosmans (played by Roland Bertin). Henri finds Jean irresistible and keeps going to the train station to seek him. After a bit of gamesmanship, Jean takes Henri home, where Jean's girlfriend Elisabeth (played by Lisa Kreuzer) also lives. Mutual mischief sets in. Jean sets a trap for Henri, who falls in and tries to recover by recasting the deal and his relationsip with Jean. Jean hides out. Cute hustlers tempt Henri. Voyeur Bosmans persuades Henri for a date, during which Jean shows up. After Jean stages some hot-looking action, Jean and Henri flee. Henri wants to get closer, but Jean plays one more bad trick on Henri. Bosmans arranges a non-standard meeting of Henri and Jean and promises not to peek. The movie goes to its climax.

The strength of the film is Anglade's ability to show the emotional arc of Henri's needy, desperate, but laconic character. Henri doesn't feel comfortable opening up to others. He talks some to Elisabeth and would like to be close to Jean. Unlike the stereotypical French movie, there is not much theorizing dialogue; Anglade has to use his expressions and body language to convey his meanings, and he does it well.

The other main characters do all right, especially Vittorio Mezzogiorno (Jean).

Henri and Jean provide excellent skin shots and erotic action, Henri going the distance.

There were some unexplained items, for which I invented my own stories. Since the characters reveal little backstory or talk about what happens when Henri is not present, the audience has to choose how to fill in the gaps. What was the nature of the Bosmans - Jean relationship? What motivates Jean's treatment of Henri? Why does Henri's family say nothing of his going to school or getting a job? Why does Henri have no friends his own age? Why won't he go to a men's club? Why was Bosmans seemingly so generous at the end? I'm not giving my answers.

The picture quality often seems grainy and not sharp, which are extra noticable in the many night or darkened room scenes. If there were a remastering, it might make a difference.

There are no chapter breaks on the DVD. The sole DVD extras are the trailers to six other movies.

I would have liked a commentary by Anglade and writer/director Patrice Chereau to fill in the gaps I mentioned above and also discuss the 1983 French take on bisexuality (Jean), gay relationships, public kissing, kids living at home, and the role of ID papers. If there were a trailer, making-of, behind the scenes, deleted scenes etc., it would be even better.

This is a good movie to watch and then exercise one's imagination on. Some relationships are better not started.

Rating:
Summary: Bleak depiction of homosexual alienation
Review: L'Homme Blesse is a stark portrayal of the homosexual underground in the dark, midnight streets of Paris. The film focuses on Henri (played by Jean-Hughes Anglade, who gives a courageous and intense performance), a friendless young man whose difficulty in accepting his own homosexuality further alienates him from a world where he has been set adrift. Alone, self-exiled from his family, Henri turns to the midnight Parisian streets, where he meets Jean, (Vittorio Mezzogiorno) a tough pimp and thief. Jean initially manipulates Henri's confused vulnerability, but later, secretly drawn to him, embraces him into his clique of fellow theieves and male prostitutes. Henri proves himself unfit for this stark lifestyle, and his desperation and alienation increase to even more unstable levels. A client of Jean's, Brosmans, a doctor (played by Roland Berlin), tries to help Henri but only leads him into further insecurity and desperation. This is a difficult film to watch at times, as Henri is one of the most excessively alienated characters ever filmed. Its realistic depiction of the seedy Parisian homosexual underworld brings to mind such other gritty French street films like "Police." Their marginalized world is the antithesis to that of the bourgeoise, and by pursuing their sexuality in forsaken places like metro stations and bathrooms their sexual orientation has become criminal. The film's conclusion is a startling denouement to a life hurtling wildly out of control.

Rating:
Summary: NOTHING LESS THAN A MASTERPIECE
Review: This film has few equals, French or otherwise. The tragic emptiness and aimlessness that the characters struggle with leaves a very disturbing, haunting impression. Although explicit at certain brief moments, this is certainly not a film that is intended primarily for a homosexual audience. It can appeal to anyone. Of all the movies I have seen this one reminds me the most of the Dutch film "Spetters", in its depiction of just how bleak life can be for those who can not find their way in it.

Rating:
Summary: A Sordid, Depressing Mess--SAVE YOUR MONEY!
Review: What a hopeless movie! While this may not be the most incompetent gay movie around, it's among the most difficult to sit through. Every moment of this film is a squalid endurance test. It's about a lonely, mixed-up youth who becomes obsessed with a petty thug. As the obsessed young man, Jean-Hughes Anglade does give a sensitive and convincing performance. Perhaps this is why this film has gotten some good reviews. But Anglade has nothing worthwhile to work with, and his talent goes to waste. Everyone else in the film seems to be bored. Technically, the movie is a shambles. In some scenes, the lighting is so poor, the viewer strains his eyes to see what's going on. The editing is sloppy, and as a result, all of the characters are underdeveloped. Combine this with the fact that the film is foreign-language, and the story is an ordeal to follow. But every character in this film is so devoid of redeeming quality, it's impossible to care. And don't be mislead by the video cover art. The sex scenes are so unerotic and tacky, they could cause impotency. In one scene, where an actor simulates a sex act on the main character, it's obvious he's sucking his own thumb. And the closing scene may be the most horrible, unpleasant bedroom scene to appear in a "mainstream" film. The title of the film translates as "The Wounded Man." But while the title may be referring to the protagonist, it's the viewers who are the injured party. Do yourself a favor and avoid this film at all costs.

Rating:
Summary: THE PAIN OF REPRESSED DESIRE
Review: Whatever else this film may be, it is basically the story of love denied and the incredible pain that denial causes. Heart-wrenching to watch. The entire cast provides incredible performances, especially Anglade as the young, heart-broken Henri. The film really transcends it's homoerotic theme to the larger theme of the horrible suffering of being unable to connect with someone you are in love with, a theme seen throughout the film and not just in Henri's tortured life. Excellent film...painful to watch...