Coming Out

I saw the 1989 West Geman feature "Coming Out" yesterday at the Brisbane Queer Film Festival (2nd June 2007) and I loved it.

It tells a realistic story of an incredibly handsome young high school teacher who is coming to grips with his homosexual tendencies. Philipp is a pleasant and sociable chap - and finds it easy to fall in love with a woman who has held a torch for him since their high school days. However when her best male friend turns out to be his own teenage lover (with a lot of emotional baggage attached), Philipp realises that his passion for men hasn't wained.

The soundtrack music is excellent - and it's refreshing to see a film which doesn't pander to the viewer - you have to pay attention and infer some of the plot, but it all makes perfect sense.

Coming Out is an empowering film - made and set at a time when all sex between men was equally illegal in my home state of Queensland as it was in East Germany. The opening night for "Coming Out" in Berlin was the same night that the Wall came down - that would have been one memorable night for all involved.

I was impressed enough to immediately order the DVD from the USA - it's a great film to share.

A few young people in the audience thought that "Coming Out" was a comedy (which is weird considering the opening detailed scene of a seriously ill young man in hospital having the contents of his stomach pumped). They guffawed at the fashions, the disco music and the dancing - but thankfully they shut up soon enough.

I thought the ending was particularly poignant - especially considering the film's title.

I also enjoyed seeing Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf as the barmaid in the gay club. She was perfect for that part - and it is a fitting tribute to her.

Coming Out is bold in displaying the unjust treatment of the marginalized group of society--the homosexuals. It is character-driven thus it allows viewers to enter the life and emotions of Mattias, the high school teacher, as he struggles to change his true identity and to repress his sexual desires in order to conform to the norms of the GDR society.

Though it presents a heavy issue, the film's mood is light. There are many entertaining scenes like theatrical plays and bar scenes with gay men in their lavish costumes. The portrayal of the sex scenes are also excellent. They are portrayed in such a manner wherein we can say that it is not just pure lust;that emotions are involved. The dialog is moving and must be given enough attention specially between Mattias and his mother. The film is not only entertaining, it also made me understand and sympathize with the homosexuals.

As a youth Philipp had an unconsummated relationship with a schoolmate but panicked and ended it. He's now a teacher in a high school and starting a relationship with a woman named Tanja who teaches at the same school. When Tanja introduces him to a friend of hers who turns out to be Philipp's old schoolmate, Philipp's questions about his sexuality resurface. When Philipp begins to explore his feelings by checking out a local gay bar he meets Mathias, a charming young man who is equally smitten with him.

Philipp is attractive and has a puppy dog-like air of vulnerability, but while Philipp is starting to be more honest with himself about what he wants, he's not honest with those around him and in his confusion and panic ends up hurting all of those that try to love him. This makes for a sadder movie than other coming out stories such as Beautiful Thing or the older Making Love.

In summary this is an interesting but ultimately unfulfilling story look at one man's coming out. There are scenes that are over the top and others that I just plain don't understand but this may be a cultural thing. E.g. Several patrons leaving a gay bar have never met Philipp but come up to him as they pass him in the street, stroke his hair and point him inside. Also the bar has gay men in costumes that are wilder than anything I see in the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade. Is it a special event or were gay bars in East Germany more festive than I'd heard?

At the very moment the Berlin Wall began to fall in 1989, Heiner Carow's film, "Coming Out," received its premiere.

The fact that this film, produced under the auspices of the state studio DEFA, had such a coincidental unveilng to a historical event, gave it added attention. It is an often interesting tale of a high school teacher coming to grips with his emotions, as he must decide between two loves.

Shot is actual East Berlin locales, the film gains in authenticity. It reportedly was well received in Germany, and enjoyed a respectable US run.

Ultimately this is a difficult movie to judge in relation to content, because it is the only movie from East Germany (and perhaps central Europe) dealing with coming out and homosexuality in a somewhat objective manner. East Germany was, for a communist country, rather liberal (homosexuality wasn't illegal, just ignored; women were an integral part of the work force and society...), yet still communist. I am a bit confused by one writer's comment regarding Bush's oppressive America...I think it rather resembles this movie. But I digress...

Overall, the movie is a success given its origin. No tragedies, but rather a man who struggles with his identity and ultimately accepts himself emotionally as a gay man. I guess it is a period piece as much as 'In and Out' may be considered a period piece. Maybe historical representation would be a better term, in particular with this movie, given the timing of its release. The ending is left rather open, leaving the viewer wondering where Philipp might next end up. Maybe there was supposed to be a sequel? We'll never know, I guess.

And yes, he does look good in a pair of jeans.