MovieChat Forums > Der Tunnel (2001) Discussion > Homosexual Reference?

Homosexual Reference?

posted 15 years ago by lloydbowman
16 replies | jump to latest

One tiny line of dialogue totally threw me. When they are building the tunnel they get an invaluable tool from someone who has a connection at the Bosch company, the maker of the tool. This is being explained to Matthis by the benefactor at the top entrance of the tunnel. The response by Matthis is totally perplexing because he replies, "Is he cute?"

What does this line have to do with the plot? Since Matthis has a wife and isn't revealed to be bisexual, a closeted homosexual or even interested in an affair, what does this line have to do with anything? Is it just bad interpretation? (I watched the film with English subtitles.) Was there some subplot that got edited out and this line is a vestige of that? It just makes no sense to me. Does anyone have an explanation -- or even convincing speculation?

[–] ah297 15 years ago

Yes, the reference is a bit out of place, especially since it is not followed up at a later point. However, the reference is entirely homosexual in nature.

The German line "Und, ist er huebsch?" translates into: "And, is he beautiful?". Given Matthis' subtle sarcastic tone, the translation is: "Is he cute?". In general, "huebsch - beautiful" is used for women and children, whereas "huebsch - cute" is used somewhat colloquially for men with a homosexual undertone. Men aren't thought of being "beautiful", i.e. I've never heard a refererence to a man as "beautiful".

From the dialogue before this line, we understand how astonished Matthis and Harry are at Fred's industrious connections. It must have been quite a feat to organize a quality electric jack hammer at a time when Berlin was at one of the peaks of being rebuilt. No less, the equipment comes at no cost of borrowing it from Fred's connection and without questions asked: "And, what did he say? Nothing - tends not to ask questions" ("Und was hat er gesagt? Nix - pflegt keine Fragen zu stellen"). Such a benefit must come at some cost, whether economic or social. We are to understand that Fred's connection likes him enough for such favors.

Throughout the film, Fred is shown to have a close, yet platonic relationship with his mother. His goal in participating in the tunnel building is to bring his mother from the East to the West. At no point does the movie establish a relationship between Fred to anyone else, for instance a girlfriend. It's not difficult to believe that Fred is more interested in men than women.

Matthis simply exploits the moment to humorously uncover Fred's likely personal preferences.

[–] jerry4444 15 years ago

Interesting, but this movie on its its own is not sexual in nature, right?

[–] Semi-evolutionary 15 years ago

I think there are other hints that at least one or more of these buddies in this circle may swing both ways, and they are trying to very carefully hint at that.
The two guys are utterly devoted to each other, and although one is married, the other says he has only cared about his sister, not a girl friend. The guy who asks about whether the contact was cute gives a long unbroken, knowing smile, even if the other guy is sensitive--maybe he is trying to tell him something--and the other guy is taken by surprise that he was spotted, or that the other guy is a bit like him. (The married guy also has the least loyal wife---the weakest emotional connection?)
Also when the swimmer first crosses the border, the guys who meets him says "you're handsome, want to get some spaghetti?" The swimmer eyes him carefully, not displaying his hand one way or the other.
He could have a romantic relationship with the girl wanting to get her boyfriend out, but she sees how he is and says she would like him to be her "brother" (not lover) when she is feeling sad. He likes her, but just wants to go to a disco and teach her how to dance better.
So, what does this all add up to?
In that world, much is hidden, much is only hinted at, much is never, ever directly revealed. Make you own mind up---or join the club maybe and find out for sure?
So it is NOT a "homosexual story" even if gay men, even masculine ones, are EVERYWHERE doing normal things like everybody else. Doing things "underground"---in secret.
Although on second thought, perhaps there IS a parallel theme about divided lives/divided cities, fighting to get out/fighting to come out to oneself and be free. I dunno. What do YOU think?!

[–] jerry4444 14 years ago

I think I can't say for sure (yet), such I have not seen the movie (yet). Did the producer/director etc even commented about this allegation?

[–] cheapfrill 12 years ago

I think the only homosexuals here are you guys. Esp. Jerry4444 who's so eager to jump in without even seeing the movie.

[–] jerry4444 12 years ago

Wrong, i've seen the movie already, even own the dvd. How do you explain it then, mr sexpert?

[–] timlin-4 11 years ago

Could be just joking, though that interpretation isn't very convincing either

[–] pro_aris_et_focis 11 years ago

That kinda threw me off as well as the comment he made to Harry after Harry crossed the border into the West. He said "you are really handsome, would you like to eat some spaghetti?" I didn't understand what these 2 comments had to do with the movie as there was no other references to his sexuality or anyting related to that in the plot. Awesome movie though! I am really starting to LOVE these German movies like Sofie Scholl, Der Untergang, Das Leben der Anderen and more.

[–] waldenpond66 9 years ago

Some of the German TV movies about WW II and post WW II from the past 15 years (like the Berlin Air Lift movie with Heino Ferch) are even better than the movies you've listed and which I've all watched, but I don't think they are available on DVD with English subtitles).

[–] pro_aris_et_focis 9 years ago

Berlin Airlift does look like a good movie, I'm going to see if I can find it. If you have any other recommendations please list them! =)

[–] waldenpond88 9 years ago

Try "Dresden", "The Last Train" and "March of Millions" with Maria Furtwaengler.

http://www.amazon.com/Millions-Subtitle-Furtwangler-Jean-Yves-Berteloot/dp/B001E19BD6/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1439840608&sr=1-1&keywords=march+of+millions
Many people hated "Dresden" (it's a love story between an injured British bomber pilot and a German woman who's no Nazi), but I thought it was very compelling.

http://www.amazon.com/Dresden-Felicitas-Woll/dp/B000YKT4BW/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1439840753&sr=1-1&keywords=Dresden

If you check them out at amazon.de and scroll down to production notes (Produktinformation), it tells you at "Sprache" (language) if it has English subtitles. But you need a multi-regional DVD player in order to watch them.

Unfortunately one of my favorite stories

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B001251S9Y?keywords=Die%20Gustloff&qid=1439840306&ref_=sr_1_1&s=dvd&sr=1-1

has no English sub titles. It's about the biggest ship disaster in history, the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff ship in early 1945 in the Baltic Sea and sunk by Russian bomanes with supposedly close to 10.000 people on board (5 times as many as on the Titanic!).

Here is the Airlift movie:

http://www.amazon.de/Die-Luftbr%C3%BCcke-Himmel-frei-DVDs/dp/B000BGWIKS/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1439840481&sr=1-1&keywords=Heino+Ferch+%2B+Luftbruecke

but it has no English subtitles either :(.

[–] pro_aris_et_focis 9 years ago

Thanks! I have actually been trying to find Die Flucht (march of millions) for some time now. I have a multi region dvd player that also plays DivX files so I also download a lot of German language (among other languages) movies if I cannot find them on DVD. Being an American I was not aware of how WELL MADE German productions are. I really, REALLY enjoy watching foreign movies, ESPECIALLY German. WW2 era movies ESPECIALLY (like Der Untergang) and also cold war/Berlin Wall movies like Fuhrer Ex or Wie Feuer und Flamme. Again, thanks for the recommendations I will definitely try them! If you have any more please list them I am always looking for movies to add to my collection. I have close to 1000 now.

[–] waldenpond88 9 years ago

I watched "The Tunnel" (in German) this morning and except from that one sentence of the aristocrat there were no gay scenes. They were all straight guys trying to get their loved ones out of East Berlin.

Tomorrow I'll watch "Tunnel 28" aka "Escape from East Berlin" (1962, with Christine Kaufmann and Don Murray).

[–] pro_aris_et_focis 9 years ago

Tunnel 28 is mentioned in Der Tunnel as well isn't it? They stumble upon the set and fake Berlin Wall. I have yet to see Tunnel 28....

[–] waldenpond88 9 years ago

Yes, you are right.
I just watched "Escape from Berlin" aka "Tunnel 28" (1962, with Don Murray) two days ago. It's o.k., but not nearly as thrilling as "The Tunnel" with Heino Ferch. I rated it 5 stars.
Actually I watched "Tunnel 28" several years ago for the very first time when it was on TCM, before I even knew about the remake from 2001.
Usually I tend to prefer old movies, but in this case I have to admit that it doesn't come even close to the quality of "The Tunnel". That's why I rated "The Tunnel" with 10 stars (in comparison I gave "Downfall" (Heino Ferch played Albert Speer) which I watched yesterday 7 stars).
On the same day when I watched "The Tunnel", I also watched "Berlin '61 - Die Mauer" (2006 German TV movie which was released on DVD) which had the title "Cold Summer" in Australia, but no US or UK release. But it didn't even come close to "Der Tunnel" (2001).

[–] pro_aris_et_focis 9 years ago

So you liked Der Tunnel more than Der Untergang? I thought Der Untergang was one of THE best movies I had ever seen. It gives a more human side to the Nazi's which you don't see very often. Most of the world views the Nazi's and Hitler as the biggest evil our world has ever seen. I am not denying the awful things that were done by the Germans but you cannot point the finger in war (look at what the allies did to Dresden and what the Soviets did in Katyn forest) I think there are two sides to every story. Der Tunnel and Der Untergang have so many of the same actors in both movies it's almost like watching a sequel to Der Untergang when watching Der Tunnel, heh. I have written down Berlin '61 Die Mauer and I hope to find it - at least a downloadable version. A little off the point here, but since we were talking about Heino Ferch he is also in a decent movie called The Ogre with John Malkovich about one of the elite Fuhrer schools in Germany during the 1930's and 40's. If you have ever seen Napola Elite Fur Dem Fuhrer it is a lot like that (personally I enjoyed Napola a LOT more than the Ogre but I was just mentioning Heino Ferch). I found Tunnel 28 so I plan to watch it today or tomorrow. Thanks for the recommendations I had never even heard of Berlin '61 and I thought I was familiar with all the movies made about that era, as well as WW2 era.