The Raspberry Reich

I don't believe I've ever seen such a montage of music, pornography, political satire, and humor presented in such fashion as in this bold and astonishing piece of film-making.

I know the average moviegoer would turn away from this movie because of its pounding and raw sexuality, especially homosexual scenes that rival the best of this "art form." But if you have a yearning for experimental film-making, for stunning and shocking action, for a satiric look at terrorism --then you will be rewarded by this astounding work.

Get ready to be annoyed, agitated, repulsed --that's one of the goals of this movie. But I think the film ought to be on the syllabus of every film school because of its utter creativity and audacity. Bravo!

It's been a while since I saw this film, so I'll talk about as much as I can remember. I happened to catch this film at the Sundance Film Festival. I knew nothing about the directors status or his past work. I heard from others at the festival that this film was straight up gay porn, which caught my interest. Being gay I'm always interested in seeing films with gay themes. I assumed the people were wrong. To my sexual arousal they were right! Almost...The film was hilarious, glamourizing the idea of "terrorist chic." In the film a group young of virile young men under the leadership of a woman (Gunfrun) kidnap the son of a wealthy man. This is done to draw attention to their group. Gunfrun is also intent on smashing the idea's considered normal. This was part of "the revolution." One of those idea's was heterosexuality. That's where all the talk of gay sex came into the picture. Some of the most erotic gay sex scene's I've ever seen! Partially due to the fact that these men were heterosexual and also due to the fact that I did not expect actual gay sex with penetration and ejaculation. The film began with images of a young man in his room playing with a shot gun, only to eventually end up deep throating it when he hears a straight couple having rough sex next door. I assume this turned him on because he proceeded to gratify himself in the most intimate way. while images of the couple having sex were spliced into the scene at the same time. It was this time when I realized that I was in for a totally different but very hot film. Maybe the film had deep theme's and agenda's, but that just went right out the door due to the amount of gay sex in the film. I don't remember much. I do remember gay sex in the trunk of a car, Gunfrun making her hetero boyfriend have sex with another straight man, more gay sex in a room and a scene that takes place in a terrorist camp with a hilarious dark training session involving an an innocent family. One line that I will never forget took place during a conversation between Gunfrun and her gang. She was talking about "the revolution." Certain idea's were not part of the revolution. When one of her beautiful gang members asks for clarification if certain things (to which I cannot remember which) were part of the revolution. Then as one last thing he asks if corn flakes are part of the revolution. In a stern commanding voice she replies, "CORN FLAKES ARE NOT PART OF THE REVOLUTION!!!" This movie had some wild lines and idea's. This film was not the best film I saw at the festival. It was my favorite though. Everything about this film was over the top and wild. If you love the theme's dealt with in most electroclash music, you'll love this film. The hetero squeamish should avoid the film if graphic gay sex is not your cup of tea. The film in short was a homo-erotic dark comedy involving revolution and change. I just cannot remember it to it's exact nature. Simply do some research into who Bruce LaBruce is and you'll understand what your getting into. Take the film for what it is. To me, that was an entertaining good time.

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.

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.

Oh boy - didactic, revolutionary agit-prop, gay porn and underground anarchic 'chic' of Berlin collide in this ultimately dull and, quite frankly, annoying film. The plot, for what it is, is centred round the plans of the revolutionary bore, Gudrun(a cliché-driven political activist who, throughout, makes proclaimations of, to her, the heroic deeds of the Bader-Meinhof Gang)and her belief that there needs to be a sexual revolution prior to any successful social revolution. But the sexual revolution is for all heterosexuals to experience and accept the 'homosexualist' within.

Cue director/writer Bruce LaBruce's previous experience in gay porn movies. We are 'treated' to a whole series of absurd gay porn encounters (and even worse acting) involving macho terrorists 'forced' (yeah right)into explicit gay sex with colleagues (and their captive - the son of one of the wealthiest capitalists in Germany is kidnapped to further the cause), all in the name of the revolution. The director has self-censored,in part, the more explicit scenes (occasionally humorously, using photographs of world leaders - this certainly adds new meaning to 'giving head').

Use of strobe, abstract patterns, political banners and statements writ large on screen and the constant proclaiming by Gudrun in a monotonous rant attempt to explore socio-political underground themes and create an 'art-house' movie. But it fails miserably. It also fails as a hard-edged porn film for the same reasons!