The Destroying Angel

In the envelope-pushing "Me Decade", pornography very nearly went mainstream after DEEP THROAT played to packed houses across the country and a good many porno chic films from this "Golden Age" had decent budgets, actual plot lines, and attractive stars. One such film was THE DEVIL IN MISS JONES (1973), which was considered "thinking man's porn" due to the intelligent, No Exit-esque narrative wherein a virginal suicide makes a pact with the devil to come back for a few days and earn her consignment to hell ("If you have to go to hell go for a reason", the tag line urged). Peter de Rome's all-male XXX THE DESTROYING ANGEL is a gay version that re-"tool"s the Edgar Allan Poe yarn "William Wilson" into the story of Caswell Campbell, a conflicted seminary student who's given a three-month sabbatical to find himself and come back to God a stronger man. He straight-away gives in to lust and magic mushrooms which, of course, is just another way of saying "If you have to go to hell go for a reason".

Caswell literally "finds himself" being haunted by his dark side, a doppelganger he even has a threesome with in a cleverly staged scene. Despite the low budget and amateur acting, this is an expertly executed vision of a homosexual hell and it's dark theme is brought home through shadowy, seemingly candlelit mis-en-scène inter-cut with religious iconography. The last scene is a black attack on organized religion's denial of natural desires. The oil painting of Poe and his raven over the mantle in Caswell's apartment was also a nice touch.

The sex -and there's lots of it- is on the masochistic side and includes watersports, sex toys, and a cucumber. de Rome's wetdream-cum-nightmare is obviously very personal, the creation of a man with some interesting issues -which begs the question, who was this film intended for? Like Jonas Middleton's XXX THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (made the same year), the disturbing imagery of a phantasmagorical universe would be a guaranteed "wood-killer" for the trenchcoat crowd. It's interesting to note that all three films (MISS JONES, ANGEL, LOOKING GLASS) hypnotically chant the same mantra: heaven and hell are one and the same. Life also imitated art at the time with the LOOKING FOR MR. GOODBAR crime.

These are excellent films made pornographically and the 1970s actually might have been on to something but, alas, AIDS and the '80s killed that party -literally- and porn went back to being smut kept behind closed doors thanks to the VHS home-video boom. THE DESTROYING ANGEL deserves to be much better-known ...and not just in jerk circles.

Peter de Rome was important to gay culture, and ' The Destroying Angel ' is arguably his best film in visual terms and in film technique. Many of the short films he made are in my opinion not particularly interesting, but they should be seen by any person who is studying gay culture on film, and the gay erotica preceding AIDS. I found this full length film hard to watch as the sadomasochism is extreme and ultimately leads to a weakened state and destruction, and despite its sexual honesty it is morbid and depressing. Based on Poe's ' William Wilson ' it is difficult to imagine Poe would have appreciated this hommage, but who knows he may have. A film that is hard to find, but it is expertly made and it must be remembered Peter de Rome had worked in Hollywood and with Selznick. I think it is a pity he stopped making films after the advent of AIDS and retreated from film. His other film that is also well worth finding is ' Adam & Yves ' which is less negative in content than this one. It is also sexually more positive in approach and is a sort of ' Last Tango in Paris ' in its storyline. It is a pity that both films are so unavailable as I feel they are far more important than the shorts brought out in the UK, and if ' The Destroying Angel ' and ' Adam & Yves ' are released should not be restricted by R18 certificates. In Paris in the 1970's ' Adam & Yves ' could be seen in cinemas without controversy, along with other gay erotica including the excellent ' Le Beau Mec, ' and available to be seen by anyone over 18. But then the French have always been wary in banning or restricting films of a sexual nature.

I decided to purchase the DVD because the reviews said 'one of a kind surreal horror.' OK I thought, I've watched a Jeff Stryker film, a bit of homosexuality isn't going to put me off. Hmm. Trying to look past my copy's poor picture quality, what can I say? Amateurish? Yes it's certainly that. Intriguing story line, but that's where the quality ends. What struck me most was the realization that there are as many flaccid cocks in gay porn as there are in straight porn. No wonder someone found it necessary to introduce a cucumber to the proceedings. If these actors can't maintain an erection, what are they doing in the porn industry? To gay/bisexual reviewers - can you get aroused even though the participants can't? I watched it late in the afternoon and I wouldn't say it gave me an appetite for my evening meal. I can't see myself watching it again.