Gay overtones?


In the first part of this movie, if you're not aware in advance of the plot, it appears (at least to this American viewer) that Mr. Badii is actually cruising for gay sexual partners (and he seems to be rejected on this basis, with one guy actually threatening to punch him!). Is this intentional on the part of the filmmaker? Or is this something that we're just reading into it with western eyes? And if it is intentional, what does it mean in the context of the film?

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there were no overtones, just viewers trying to understand what was going on.

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[deleted]

I agree it's pretty bad. He's driving around asking men if they are lonely, if they want to take a ride with him, asking all the personal details of their life. Definitely felt gay to me.



~ Observe, and act with clarity. ~

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I strongly felt that too. Ebert pointed that out in his review.

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it is possible that is the reason he wanted to take his own life actually.
nice interpretation.

Hugh Jackman + Patrick Wilson
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No. I disagree completely. Until we find out that he is looking for someone to bury him, the idea that he was perhaps looking for a prostitute crossed my mind, but afterwards it would just be bizarre for that to be the case, and there is no other hint of it anywhere (we only assume that in the beginning because we don't KNOW what is going on). I can understand that some of us may WANT him to be gay, but it is simply not the case.

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It sure must have felt like this for the soldier, which makes me wonder why he came with him.

I think you can get that association but it has nothing to do with the film, the director just wanted to leave us in the dark what his plans are for a while.

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It's obviously intentional, and I think its purpose is to establish what is probably true, especially in religious countries : that suicide is even more taboo than homosexuality.

The bonus is that it makes the first 30 minutes more suspenseful.

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