"Querelle" (1982)

Starring: Brad Davis, Franco Nero, Jeanne Moreau, Laurent Malet, Hanno Pöschl, Günther Kaufmann

First, the Lowdown: A French sailor comes to terms with his own homosexuality.

A man dances with the madame of a brothel, his name is Robert. The madam, Lysiane, insists on giving him a tarot reading. In the cards she sees Robert's previously unmentioned brother, Querelle. She also warns Robert that Querelle is in true danger of finding himself.

As providence would have it, a ship arrives into the port of Brest. The sailors look longingly at the carnal delights offered at the port - especially The Feria, Lysiane's brothel. Querelle, a sailor on the vessel is told about the rules of the Feria – if you want a lady you have to throw dice with Nono the bartender, Feria's husband. If you lose, you get screwed by him.

Querelle goes ashore and is surprised to see his brother at The Feria. Robert has been sleeping with Lysiane in exchange for room and board. Querelle mentions to Nono that he has a package of opium to sell. Nono makes an arrangement to buy.

Meanwhile, Gil, a polish construction worker keeps haranguing a young boy by the name of Roger for a chance at Roger's sister, Paulette. However, from their argument it's hard to say who Gil is more turned on by, Roger or his sister. Gil's proclivities seem to be obvious to everyone but himself, as the foremen of the construction crew keeps belittling Gil for his effeminate tendencies.

Later that evening, Querelle and another sailor smuggle the opium to shore. His partner starts talking about the Feria, which puts Querelle on edge, especially when his brother is mentioned. Querelle isn't repulsed by Nono's homosexuality like many of his peers, but he doesn't know how to reconcile his attraction to it. Before his partner notices that Querelle has been lustfully staring at him, Querelle slits his throat and leaves him bleeding.

Fassbinder is a director that I've been recommended before, and as my first encounter with his work, I feel puzzled. Querelle is his last film, so I have nothing else to base his style on, but I get the impression that Fassbinder is a student of Jung. There is a lot of duality going in this movie: from the juxtaposition between Querelle and his brother, to an actor playing a significant dual role. Even the dialog oscillates between the poetic and the profane. The story itself is a tale of Querelle's narcissism and how in his discovery of himself, Querelle sacrifices the lives of all in his path.

As a movie, it left me more perplexed than compelled. It's executed much like a Greek tragedy (a move I think is deliberate). The set is sparse and the actors recite their lines more toward the audience than at each other. There isn't much “acting” going on between actors, but in a tale such as this there doesn't necessarily have to be. Fights between characters come across as an elaborate dance (a knife fight between Querelle and his brother as them skipping around each other chanting prose). An omnipresent narrator furthers the story like an ancient chorus. While this may work for other people, it comes across as a little over the top for me. That's not to say that melodrama doesn't have a place in the cinema, but for some reason or another I kept expecting to see Laurence Olivier appear on screen and give his “oysters or snails” monologue from Spartacus.

Line of the movie: “I'm on the brink of a shame from which no man ever rises. But only in that shame will I find my everlasting piece.”

Three stars. You break it, you buy it.