Sodomites

...this one really played around with my emotions.

"Sodomites" is an early short film from the notoriously edgy and provocative filmmaker Gaspar Noé, the man behind many of today's most acclaimed, and controversial, art-house films. Before this seven minute sexuality extravaganza, I had not seen any of Gaspar Noé's other work, so I can't really compare this to anything else he's done, although I do understand that it is a common trait that his films feature explicit sexual imagery...and, boy, does this feature explicit sexual imagery! Here on IMDb, it's even listed as an "Adult" film, a genre only a VERY select group of films get categorized under, and I'm sure many people have accused this of being nothing but an artsy porno, but I can't say I agree with this. Perhaps it is "artsy" and some images are objectively "pornographic" but porn is supposed to arouse the viewer, that is its intention. I do not think "Sodomites" wants to arouse the viewer, it's much too...ugly and creepy and weird and experimental and comedic and horrifying for that. Sure, some people have odd fetishes, but this film's editing is too ditractingly disorienting and wild for one of these fetishists to enjoy it in purely sexual terms. I enjoyed the film not because it turned me on at all, but because it briefly transported me to an underground society of perversion, and did so in a unique and visually stunning way. It's more of a horror movie than it is a porno, and I appreciate it for that. And I'm impressed with Gaspar Noé's fearlessness when it coems to showing full on sexual content. There's no reason to censor your art, if your vision is as extreme as this, go ahead and do whatever is necessary to fulfill your vision! Also, potential viewers shouldn't worry too much about being grossed out by this one. It has some disgusting images, but not many at all. If you can handle an erect penis (and I don't necessarily mean PHYSICALLY handle, although that certainly helps), you can totally sit through all seven wacky (not sure if that word sounds right, but this is sort of a "wacky" film) minutes of this mildly disturbing, blackly humorous, scandalously explicit, and artistically ambitious experimental adults-only work of totally screwed up art!

Well this is the kind of short clip that Mr. Noé would enjoy doing ! Gaspar Noé has what i call the voyeur , masturbation , sm , role playing , stroboscope trip ! He's good in image & montage and taking you in a rush trip ....if you look long enough , you can almost feel buzzed and trippy , you get into a trance like state with those image en rafale . Reminds me of those weird industrial music video's i used to watch back in the early 90's like (sleep chamber , psychic TV ,front 242 ...) . Well i still think this should be viewed with an open , creative mind because this is experimental , this is creative and this is art ! i rate this 5/10 ps: i don't know if this was actually a public add for condom protection against aids but i think the message is quite clear Mr. Noé !

This piece struck me as a blatant propaganda for a condom and related sexual items, the second time I saw it. Indeed, I saw it twice because I could not make head or tail out of it. Since most of its scenes last one or two frames (after the sodomizing begins), I advanced it frame by frame, counting not less than 5 times the (supposedly) brand Nf.

I surmise this is no coincidence, and I'm happy to have discovered it, or else my image of gaspar noe would be very devalued by now.

And, I do not think it is a minotaur as other commenter suggested: the ridiculous mask he uses is more like a wolf's head, but the close up in his hands when he unwraps the condom, reveals neatly manicured office-type nails, which do not live up to the expectations. All in all, you could skip this short altogether.

Interesting one, this. Having been entertained by Noé's feature-length films, I was sure his short(s) would be jam-packed full of excessive violence and cinematic flair, so made the effort to seek out Sodomites.

Leather-clad men and women lounge around a large room as a minotaur enters, somewhat er, excited, and proceeds to sodomise a willing female.

Much of Noé's innovative camerawork as seen in Irreversible is apparent here; the swooping, zooming camera, rapid-succession jump-cutting, etc. And also a sense of humour. Our minotaur, ready and raring to go, is calmed and handed a condom. This he dons, and the roaring begins again. Apres sodomy, the minotaur is again calmed and the condom retrieved...

Be warned, this is a hardcore sexually explicit short, and thus probably won't make it onto your tv screens for a good while yet.