I can't help but think that this film is an earlier (pre-Stonewall) & better version of Brokeback Mountain. In the commentary, Chabrol mentions that he told Brialy (who was openly gay in real life) but not Blain (for fear of his reaction) about the nature of the relationship of their characters. It certainly explains the tension between the 2, why Francois is so bent out of shape over seeing Serge & why Serge has a drinking problem.
share10/16/2013 5:01am Le Beau Serge
MiloMindbender:
When you see a film you can have all kinds
of interpretations, as for the tension between
the two men, it was created by the fact Serge's
life was in a complete downward spiral.
Whatever their relationship was years ago,
has little bearing on the present time.
Serge was angry at seeing an old friend and
not wanting him to see his life as it was.
I can see some elements from Brokeback Mountain but
that film was very open about their relationship.
Le Beau Serge doesn't make that statement at all.
ellisisle
Way back in 1958 no movie director was allowed to state that his film was about two gay men. Censorship made it impossible, in Europe and in the US.
Just watch René Clément's "Plein soleil" (Purple Noon) with Alain Delon being infatuated with Maurice Ronet. The end had to be a moral ending, very different from Patricia Highsmith's ending in her novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley".
By the time the remake with Matt Damon was filmed, censorship did not interfere with the fact that this was a story about a gay man (Tom Ripley) and a straight man (Dickie Greenleaf).
Don't miss "Les Cousins" which Chabrol filmed one year later.
[deleted]
Yeah, didn't think of it, but maybe. However, this presents more problems than it solves. The gay angle would explain why he sticks with his wife (his beard), but why would he keep knocking her up? Does she want a kid that badly to stick with a drunk, unloving loser? Why would he get her pregnant out of wedlock to begin with if it wasn't a heat of the moment, reckless mistake?
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