Gay 80s movies

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He embarks on a thousand-day mission to earn enough money to impress her father, which sends him not only in pursuit of wealth, but of self-discovery and determination. The programme brings the tensions of the present day to the fore, too. However, Joanne is still complex, sensitive, and real. Deneuve’s character, Miriam, is a vampire who has tired of her lover and life source, John, who is played by Bowie.

There is tangible care that has gone into producing this movie that does justice to Forster and his novel. The film explores the world that surrounded its director, Marlon Riggs, as he comes to terms with his sexuality and copes with many of his friends dying from Aids. The fact that the film was even made – not just because of its queerness, but more because it is so critical of government policy – is remarkable in itself, making Quest for Love noteworthy in a historical sense.

Beautiful Mystery is a Japanese ‘pink film’ (a term used to describe a type of Japanese film with explicit or erotic content).

Tuija-Maija Niskanen’s haunting period drama offers a different view into the coming out process. Pictures

Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of The Color Purple has a star-studded cast including Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, and Oprah Winfrey. The movie is by no means perfect, but that doesn’t stop it from being moving.

It's particularly significant that the directors spoke to a number of women and people of color because those are voices that are frequently left behind. We witness moments from Valerie’s childhood into adulthood. It's a compelling look at the way wealth, politics, and sexuality intersect in upper-class British society.

10 The World According to Garp (1982)

Warner Bros.

The World According to Garp is an interesting and quirky movie.

What’s important is that aspects of all these stories might seem outdated, but they also reflect many people’s reality and experiences.

5 Before Stonewall (1984)

First Run Features

Before Stonewall is a documentary that sought to compile a history of what it was like to be LGBTQ+ before the Stonewall riots.

Despite the efforts to suppress Parajanov’s films because of his bisexuality and politics, the Armenian director is regarded as one of the most influential directors in the history of cinema.

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The film follows a young high-school teacher, Philipp Klarmann, who during his first day at work meets with a fellow teacher, Tanja. Directed by Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg, the movie is an essential compilation of valuable interviews and archival footage that would have been otherwise lost. John Waters’ Hairspray is a perfect example of the balance struck between truly subversive choices that are even shocking at times but are still not at the expense of the movie being watchable.

gay 80s movies

The relationship between Pablo and Antonio is at the core of the film, but Tina is also a focal point. The melodrama here simply places The Color Purple firmly in the 80s movie canon.

8 Victor/Victoria (1982)

MGM

Victor/Victoria finds Julie Andrews as Victoria Grant, a singer having trouble finding work.

They both have writing aspirations, though Jenny is most successful, and with the money she earns, she opens a women’s center. Directed by Heiner Carow, Coming Out was one of the last films made in the former East Germany. As a result, the 80s are home to some of the most iconic movies the community has to offer.

Beyond just queer cinema, the aesthetics of the 80s make for delightful and charming filmmaking.

Gay men were particularly stigmatised and let down by those in power, even as laws prohibiting gay sex were gradually relaxed.

But during these difficult times, the 80s were a decade where queer filmmakers across the world told stories in new and interesting ways.