Lesbian Subtext?
It's in plot keywords.
shareHell yeah! Between Crawford and McCambridge. I've seen the movie multiple times. It's subtle but it IS there!
shareHow? They wanted to kill each other, not make love. Anyone who sees anything other than two women wanting to destroy each other is suffering from wishful thinking.
shareEver see a movie when a man and a woman hate each other but end up falling in love? Same dynamic is a work here. Also quite a few articles have been written about this movie and all have mentioned the lesbian subtext. It's in there.
shareI don't know, Preppy, I think Vienna looked pretty terrified under the bold surface every time Emma was on screen. Joan Crawford is always good. But I will grant you that at times I thought Emma was looking at her as if she wanted to roast and eat her. Out of hunger, not sexual desire. I wonder if the director told her, "Okay, Mercedes, your motivation is simple. You're a wild wolf in a cage, leashed and strapped down, and Joan's death is a plate of pork chops parading in front of that cage. Now say the lines." ;-)
I respectfully disagree with u proximo. She DOES look at her with hunger...but as a sexual desire.
shareI totally agree with you, the lesbian subtext is SUPER obvious to me in this movie! I find that a lot of people tend to be in denial when it comes gay subtext in movies and I am not sure why? It's always obvious when it is there, especially in the old classic movies where that's really all they could do is "hint" at it. Glad you see it too!
share[deleted]
Yes it obviously is, was kind of part of the point I was trying to make.
share"I totally agree with you, the lesbian subtext is SUPER obvious to me in this movie! I find that a lot of people tend to be in denial when it comes gay subtext in movies and I am not sure why? It's always obvious when it is there, especially in the old classic movies where that's really all they could do is "hint" at it. Glad you see it too!"
I also agree. I think their violence towards each other is an expression of their denial of their true feelings.
Johnny Guitar was the first one to figure it out. That's why he said, "All a man needs is a cup of coffee and a good smoke." Because he knew he wasn't getting any of the other stuff.
I've had people pull that BS on me, when I get fed up with a female co-worker mouthing off and thinking she could put me down, a third party told me it sounded like love.
No way in hell was there any attraction. Only in Hollywood's fantasyland is that possible, not the real world.
This must be something that only guys (gay or straight) notice (wishful thinking on their part). Cause I just watched it a bit ago, and it was a strain for me to try to notice that. If it's t there, I didn't see it. And, I'm usually one of the first to pick up on that.
But. I think Crawford would have been the top in that relationship, if there was one. She had a dominating vibe throughout, but that's as far as it goes.
Please excuse typos/funny wording; I use speech-recognition that doesn't always recognize!