The Raspberry Reich

Bruce LaBruce's satirical swipe at terrorist chic is a gleefully irreverent swipe at, well, just about everything. The film combines a porn sensibility (complete with badly dubbed voices) with a high camp transgressiveness that reminded me of early John Waters. Indeed Raspberry Reich seems unsure as to whether it wants to be John Waters or a parody of Marxist Jean Luc Godard.

Like John Waters early work this film has got plenty to offend everyone, but its also pacily directed and witty and boasts a terrific over the top character in Gudrun, the sexual and political revolutionary with ways too many causes.

The Raspberry Reich is about a dominatrix terrorist, Gudrun, her sexual revolution, and her clan, Raspberry Reich. They kidnap the son of a wealthy businessman to get public attention. Pornographic sexual revolution ensues.

The film was, essentially, porn. However, it was porn with a plot, a message, and really awesome music, all captured by a true artist, Bruce LaBruce, rather than some pornographer or big studio blah. Oh, and I would have to say... the porn was well done. I happened to be counter-revolutionary, myself, (if you know what I mean) while watching the movie.

It was funny with lines like, "the revolution is my boyfriend," "cornflakes are counter-revolutionary," that guy who kept jumping and clapping his hands: "shoplifting! shoplifting!" and "pornography! pornography!" and a sequence in which two boyfriends made out with each other right after robbing a bank, like, right outside of the bank... oh, and the sex in the elevator.

I found it ironic and interesting that while Gudrun spoke against oppression, she was, in turn, oppressing her own followers.

The acting was soooooo bad. If only the acting was at least okay, I would have liked it more.

All in all, it was a good movie, if only for the artistic aspect of explicit sex. I think I want to be Bruce LaBruce when I grow up.

No spoilers, i think

I have to say that I had a good time watching this movie. I saw it on my birthday, it was playing at the University's Doc Films theater. Wednesday was "history of porn" night, so my friends and I decided to go watch. I think you should see the movie as a comedy (with gay sex) and not a funny porno? I cracked up when the phrases would scroll across the screen: "Heterosexuality is the opiate of the masses", "There can't be revolution without a homosexual revolution", and my personal fave "The revolution is my boyfriend." I actually want a t-shirt like the one in the movie. Oh, and Bruce La Bruce was there, and did a little Q&A session.

I saw this at a film festival in Philly where it was aptly introduced as "...either political commentary disguised as hard core gay porn, or gay porn disguised as political commentary." As porn...wow. I wasn't quite expecting the explicitness--so if that's what you're looking for, then enjoy. (I must confess that I did.) The actors are all very photogenic and appealing. There definitely was comedy, and perhaps even food for thought, in the political statements made by the over-the-top revolutionary characters. I found it a bit difficult to switch gears, but maybe after repeated watchings I'll be able to do so. Those who are able to view hard core fare from an artistic and/or intellectual point of view will probably be better able to appreciate the film's artsy elements as well.

"Raspberry Reich" was very much advertised G e r m a n m o v i e prior to and upon a world-reputable international film festival, and packed viewing venues in full with folks from various walks of life.

I do not know whether co-viewers were already prepared to a degree of a male nudity and simply screening a sexual revolution in making to a couple of hundreds cinema-goers in the heart of a multi-million-dweller town, but I was personally much confused with outbursts of laughing and females' comments following any squeeze of a l i t t l e b r o t h e r on a screen, not speaking more.

This work is a perfect parody on communist (leftist as more usable in modern time writings) propaganda where explicit stupidity of leaders cheating own followers while clinching to a political power and financial gains has grotesquely been disclosed with sex and orgies at any preference available a low budget movie allowed.

Of course, same gender sex is the most powerful tool to allegorize a "revolutionary struggle", where lust for empowering and power over the human being are very similar psychological constituents of actually different activities.

People left cinema smiling and in a good mood, which is the best outcome masterpieces present.