MovieChat Forums > Nightbreed (1990) Discussion > Gay parable

Gay parable

posted 9 years ago by Mr_Ectoplasma
8 replies | jump to latest

Re-watched the director's cut tonight and I really feel like the film is a parable for minorities, but specifically for the gay community. The classic misfit motifs, flamboyance of some of the characters, ignorant hillbillies coming into Midian, and unusual touches like the sympathetic priest being called a fa99ot just cement the idea for me— it's a story for any group outside the status quo, but it's heavily weighted toward the gay community. I know Clive Barker is openly gay and has apparently acknowledged that Cabal was definitely written with such in mind, but I'm surprised it's not more discussed by fans of the film(?) It's the central theme of the film but I've yet to see anyone bring it up here.

[–] TheSolarSailor 9 years ago

There used to be a long thread about it, but these days IMDb shortens the amount of threads that are allowed to exist on old movie pages. The thread became inactive and eventually fell off into oblivion. Believe me, though, it has been discussed in years past. Clive wasn't openly gay when he wrote Cabal and made Nightbreed, but the gay persecution angle is definitely inherent to the story.

I'd like to add that from the theatrical cut, there is a scene of Ashberry in the cell adjacent to Boone, where he tells Boone he is an abomination and has to die. That was lost in the director's cut, and I am glad because the scene doesn't really make a lot of sense coming from Ashberry, but it existed for the sake of throwing in the whole "abomination" angle, which was definitely a jab at Christianity's (some, not all) view on homosexuality.

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Whose idea was it for the word LISP to have an S in it?

[–] TalesfromTheCryptfan 9 years ago

Yes there is a huge LGBT metaphor in this movie besides racism and Barker put tha in as subtext.

And would anyone compare the bad humans including the preist to the main cop to the KKK, Kamau Kambon (remember that racist anti-white professor who made a hate speech on C-Span? see youtube) and Fred Phelps with the WBC?

Kill Whitey-Black Sheep

[–] Blah84 8 years ago

I thought the cops kind of looked like Nazis, plus the rural cop has a German name. Seems purposeful.

[–] lark91773 9 years ago

Plus lead actor is often shirtless and looking pretty hot.

[–] robinson-w-walsh 9 years ago

I find there's a lot of gay themes, both subtle in not so subtle, in Barker films. I mean, even Rawhead Rex featured a demon who exclusively preyed on men!

I also see parallels with X-Men and Nightbreed, as Bryan Singer is also gay and felt that the mutant community, like the Midian community, could be seen as a gay metaphor.

[–] TalesfromTheCryptfan 9 years ago

Hey Robinson, would you compare the bad humans who were gonna trash Midian to the Westboro Baptist Church and think their leader is a bit like the Fred Phelps?

F *** the law, i want meat-Nightbreed

[–] simonsteele11 9 years ago

Hmmm...I'm reading the book, and one of the things Lauri seems to think about in her relationship with Boone is that he is sexually unable to perform with her. And he always feels like he belongs in Midian and not with her. I'll buy this theory. It's a good one.

[–] 9 years ago

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