I Heart Hedwig
2008; Issue: 75 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
2562-2528
Autores Tópico(s)Gender, Feminism, and Media
ResumoHedwig and the Angry Inch is an internationally acclaimed motion picture adapted from a musical by John Cameron Mitchell. Mitchell wrote, directed, and starred in the film Hedwig, a tall task for anyone, but for a first time writer/director/actor? I hardly had high expectations. That being said, within a frame of the credit roll, I knew it was one of the best films that I have ever experienced and with humility I state that this review could never hope to do Hedwig justice. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Hedwig and the Angry inch is a film about an internationally ignored rocker from East Berlin who sings about his member being cut off in a messy operation. Traveling around America performing in shady bars, we learn of Hedwig's story and the great injustice she has suffered a result of becoming transgendered. The film's glory lies in its affirmation of gender fluidity and its ability to depict the pain of the individual and the mentality of mainstream pop culture while offering to the viewer something most queer films do not, reconciliation and acceptance. The film opens with Hedwig casting off a red umbrella while entering the backdoor of her concert venue, a seafood restaurant chain. She portrays the attitude of a genuine rock star she passes the line-up for the sold-out Tommy Gnosis show; we later find out that Tommy (Michael Pitt) and his story play a significant role in the film. The opening credits depict restaurant patrons offended and disgusted with Hedwig's concert, yet at any given table for two one patron is always more interested in the show than the other. Perhaps we are to understand this a contextualization of heteronormative social cues and our obligation to them. Despite the seemingly offensive performance, we see that Hedwig has groupies in the crowd who proudly display their allegiance with yellow foam hair. The lyrics of the film's first song Tear Me Down tell us of the Berlin wall, but more importantly the lyrics tell us that Hedwig represents that infamous She stands before the audience as a divide between east and west, slavery and freedom, top and bottom, man and woman. The lyrics serve a matter of fact interpretation of Hedwig's place in society, allowing the viewer to see it a truth before their eyes the film opens. Yet what is most interesting is Hedwig's response to society's first impression of her; ain't much difference between a bridge and a wall. During the first few moments of the film the viewer is forced to decide on how to interpret Hedwig and more importantly, if they will allow her to serve a bridge or a wall on the Journey of understanding gender fluidity. There are several visual aspects of the film that add to the overall effectiveness and meaning of Hedwig. Throughout the film there are animated sequences which help to explain and inform the inner turmoil Hedwig is experiencing. The cartoons illustrate Hedwig's country of origin with the Berlin wall, and they also help advance the notion of individual duality. They depict how an individual may feel, if there are two opposing yet complementary versions of one, how they consume one another, then separate, and then reunite. The animations throughout the film emphasize that the fluidity of the individual is in constant motion, an almost natural state. Another visual cue that reinforces the idea of duality within the individual is Hedwig's tattoo. We see that the tattoo is two profiles of a 'face pie' that fit together, but they are not together. In the last scene of the film Hedwig walks out into the world naked and vulnerable, we see that the tattoo on her thigh has reconstituted into one complete face. At the end of the film, Hedwig is whole. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It is worth mentioning that the set design and Hedwig's costumes add richness and an organic dimension to the film. Hedwig performs one of her concerts from behind a salad bar, while confidently wearing a fur coat with a red paint splatter on the back. …
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