Transcript of Celebrating Trans Films - Part One

Whenever compiling any list, it is first worth considering what is the criteria for inclusion, well for this episode one criteria was, that the films will all be from the 20th century, but should the films be limited to only those that feature trans people, either from real life or fictional characters?

If that was the criteria, then this episode would be rather short, therefore the majority have cisgender actors portraying either a real life individual or a fictional character, and one does not features any trans characters at all, but is still an important trans film, and another is kind of fun!

Spoilers are a risk with any film discussion and I will endeavour to alert possible spoilers, therefore to avoid any chance, I have listed in order, all the films in the description, except ones I consider problematic, which are at the end of the list, as even their title may be triggering.

So perhaps come back to this episode, after seeing all the films you have not seen and want to watch, before hearing my opinion of them.

Welcome to “Trans Wise Trans Strong”, I am Carolyne O’Reilly.

Episode seven, “Celebrating Trans Films - Part One”

Where to start, well perhaps with someone who embraced trans people, Andy Warhol, and their 1971 produced, Paul Morrissey directed, “Women in Revolt”, which starred three trans women, Jackie Curtis, Candy Darling and Holly Woodlawn.

Jackie Curtis and Candy Darling had previously been in Paul Morrissey’s 1968 “Flesh”, and Holly Woodlawn in their 1970 “Trash”.

The film was the last one produced at Andy Warhol’s Factory in Manhattan, and was portrayed as a satire on the, “Women's Liberation Movement”, but given that the “Women's Liberation Movement”, was fighting for the injustices that women then faced, I wonder what was Morrissey’s intent with the film or his attitude to female empowerment.

However, given that it starred three trans women, whereas even today a film with even a single trans woman or trans man is a rarity, I feel it should be included with a strong caveat regarding its tone.

From seventies America, to 1978 West Germany, and the German language, Rainer Werner Fassbinder film, “In a Year of 13 Moons”.

Even if one was generous, celebration could hardly apply to this film.

I admit I have not seen it, but I would say from reviews, it would be a tough watch, and spoiler alert, it follows the main character, Elvira who after gender affirming surgery, faces an increasingly harrowing response from society.

Therefore perhaps one should consider it, more as a particular late seventies window on societies attitude towards transgender people, and unlike, “Women in Revolt”, the trans woman character Elvira, was portrayed by a cisgender man.

I think we could do with a laugh after, “In a Year of 13 Moons”, and staying in the seventies, three years earlier in 1975, there was, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, was based on the stage musical, “The Rocky Horror Show”, which written by Richard O’Brien, who British audiences may know from the 1990s Channel 4 show, the Crystal Maze, which they hosted.

The film starts with a wedding and shortly afterwards the car, of a newly engaged couple, Susan Sarandon’s Janet and Barry Bostwick’s Brad, breaks down and they seek help at a mansion, where they meet Dr. Frank-N-Furter, portrayed by Tim Curry, yes another cisgender man.

I think you may begin to see pattern in the casting.

Dr. Frank-N-Furter self-describes as, “a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania”, and whose sexuality is either bisexual or pansexual.

The film was not a financial success when first released, but with midnight showings, became a cult that over time made back its money, and was notable for its audience participation, with the audience singing along and during the wedding scene throwing rice, and also dressing up as characters from the film.

The original stage musical has also continued to be staged with a variety of performers taking the lead role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, who to put it mildly could hardly be described as an accurate reflection of a trans woman.

However, that cisgender men, dress in a corset and stockings, as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, whether attending the stage version or showing of the film, I feel a kind of trans visibility.

And although in the film and possibly all stage versions, cisgender men portray Dr. Frank-N-Furter, in 2016 there was a remake for television, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let's Do the Time Warp Again”, where Dr. Frank-N-Furter, was portrayed by a trans woman, the actress Laverne Cox.

A new decade saw the release in 1982 of, “The World According to Garp”, where John Lithgow, again a cisgender man, portrayed a former footballer, who is a trans woman, Roberta Muldoon, who lives in the home of Garp’s mother, which is also a home for abused women.

Lithgow’s portrayal of Roberta and how their character is treated, is positive, which was not usually the case for a main stream film then, however although a comedy drama, the film does nonetheless, have a number of powerful scenes, reflected in its 15 rating in Britain, and R rating in America.

I’ll try to be circumspect describing one scene from the film, but it is a bit spoilery, there is an event that Garp wants to go to, but all men are excluded, therefore they dress as a woman and Roberta, who is invited, helps them attend.

So consider this, a film albeit based on a novel, has a scene where all men are excluded, yet Roberta Muldoon, a trans woman, is invited, that shows a level of inclusion that in 21st century Britain and America, is so sadly lacking in many areas of life.

From fiction to factual and from the last decade of the 20th century, comes a documentary, 1990’s, “Paris Is Burning”, which captured the ball culture competitions of the African-American, Latino, gay and trans communities of New York city, from the mid to late eighties.

This period was when the ball culture’s where at its height, and the film examines attitudes to; gender, sexuality, race and class during this time, and the competitive aspect of the balls, where the contestants were judged on; dance, clothing and ability to pass as the gender they are portraying.

The ability to pass is an aspect that some would apply to trans people, although more likely trans women, and frankly, it is only a small step from judging if a trans woman passes, to full on transphobia.

Whether a trans woman or a cisgender woman, a trans man or a cisgender man, we should all be accepted as just women or men, and now I will step off my soapbox and return to, Paris Is Burning.

The film combined footage of the balls and interviews with their leading figures, such as;

Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, Angie Xtravaganza, and Willi Ninja.

Trophies were awarded and many of the contestants, belonged to a “house”, which was led by a “mother”, with the goal of winning for the house.

Drag shown not just as performance but encompassing the diversity of gender, race and class, and was a way the performers asserted their individuality.

The film could also lay claim for being the first to present, “voguing”.

Four years later saw release of a film that brought drag performance, as well as another trans woman character to a wider audience, it was 1994’s, “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”.

It starred as drag queens Hugo Weaving as Anthony "Tick" Belrose, whose alto ego was, Mitzi Del Bra, and Guy Pearce as Adam Whitely, whose alto ego was, Felicia Jollygoodfellow, and Terence Stamp as a trans woman, Bernadette Bassenger, and was based on three real life drag queens.

To be honest, if one was to draw up a list of actors to portray a trans woman, I don’t think I would have placed Terence Stamp at the top of the list, but having recently watched the film, I very soon totally believed in their character, which didn’t come as a surprise, as Stamp is a great actor.

Another spoiler alert, although given this is set out from the beginning of the film, it is only a minor one, the trio set out to travel across Australia’s Outback to perform their drag act at a hotel casino resort, and along the way not everyone is accepting.

And who was Priscilla, well if you have listened to episode six, “The Kings and Queens of Drag”, you will already know the answer, it is the bus.

A film that was a powerful portrayal of a young transgender girl Ludo, was the Franco/Belgian French language film, “Ma Vie en Rose” released in 1997, which

follows their travails.

This is be a bit spoilery.

The film begins with Ludo’s family moving into a new house and the community initially welcomes them, but an innocent action by Ludo, leads to hostility from the community, and there is also a lack of understanding regarding their gender identity from within their family.

Later they move to a new home, and Ludo goes to a dress-up birthday party and encounters a trans boy, and events lead to Ludo being hurt.

There a number of emotional scenes in the films but ultimately it is a positive trans representation.

In Britain it was rated 12, suitable for 12 years and over, whereas in America it was rated R, which given that there was hardly any sexual content or violence and the language was mild, one might suspect a degree of transphobia on the part of the MPA, who rate US films.

Although this is a celebration of trans films, I feel it is worth discussing films that are problematic, which will inevitable include spoilers, and as even their title could be triggering, I recorded the next section before recording this introduction so as to time its length.

Therefore if you wish to avoid, please mute or fast forward the next 6 minutes and 38 seconds, and I’ll see you on the other side, starting now!

The first is Neil Jordan’s, “The Crying Game”, which although not a UK success due to Miramax, damn, even the name of the production company is now triggering, marketing it as a, ”sexy noir thriller”, it was a great hit in America.

This was due to Miramax’s, sorry, marketing campaign, that made the gender identity of Jaye Davidson’s character, a plot twist, and it is how another character initially responds, is why I have a major issue with this film, although that same character’s attitude changes later in the film.

Also consider when this film was released, 1992, ten years after the positive acceptance of a trans woman in, The World according to Garp, therefore there was no excuse.

The film also received six Oscar nominations, with one win, Neil Jordan for their, screenplay, and seven Bafta nominations, again with one win for outstanding British Film of the Year.

So with a combined Oscar/Bafta total of 13 nominations, it seems transphobia pays, and remember that marketing campaign in US, well at the Oscar’s Jaye Davidson was nominated for an Oscar as an “Actor in a Supporting Role”, and similarly nominated at the Bafta’s as a “Supporting Actor”, whoops!

Next if any film could be summed up in two words, the next would be top of the list, and those two words are, “shower scene”, and of course the film is, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960, “Psycho”, considered to be one of his best.

The film was based on Robert Bloch’s 1959 book of the same name, inspired by real life serial killer, Ed Gein, who was also the inspiration for Tobe Hoopers’, 1974, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, and part inspiration for, “The Silence of the Lambs”, more anon.

That shower scene, was a tour deforce of cinematography, editing and music, to create in the mind a horror, that is never explicitly seen, committed by a character that cross dresses, and is a knife wielding bloody psychopath, well thanks Alfred, for putting that image in the audiences mind’.

From the start of the sixties to the start of the eighties, and director, Brian De Palma’s,1980, “Dressed to Kill”, I mean where do we begin.

A woman is murdered in an elevator by a blond woman, who it subsequently is revealed to be the psychiatrist Dr. Robert Elliott, seen earlier in the film, portrayed by Michael Caine.

Another psychiatrist Dr. Levy, explains that Dr Elliott is transgender and their actions are due to a conflict between their male side and unstable female side represented by “Bobbi”, and this led to them becoming homicidal, I mean you just couldn’t make up that level of ignorance and transphobia.

The film was initially X rated by the MPAA, now MPA, but was trimmed by 30 seconds, to receive an R rating, I think it could have been trimmed a bit further, say, 104 Minutes.

And after that piece of transphobic hate, I sometimes wish I hadn’t given up alcohol, as I could do with a strong drink right now.

But that hateful transphobic idea, of a male serial killer, dressing up in women’s clothing, to murder women, I mean no one would now have that as a plot device, would they, oh but back in 2020, J. K. Rowling, under their pseudonym Robert Galbraith, published "Troubled Blood", I know book burning is a really bad thing, but sometimes!

Another decade, and Jonathan Demme’s 1991, “Silence of the Lambs”, adapted by Ted Tally, from the Thomas Harris novel of the same name.

This has a serial killer who murders women to use part of their skin to make a body suit, and at one point, Anthony Hopkins’ character, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, states that the serial killer, is not a genuine transsexual but believes he is, and the late Jonathan Demme said that the character is not explicitly transgender.

So a psychopathic serial killer, who wants to make a body suit out of the skin of women, but they are not explicitly transgender, well that’s alright then, I can’t imagine that that will create a negative impression of trans people.

And staying with the nineties, comes the last and very least of films, which should be totally avoided, have the negative burnt, and the ashes buried under ten tons of concrete, 1994’s “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”.

I will not describe a particular scene towards the end of the film, but just say that is possibly the most disgustingly, repellent, transphobic scene ever committed to film, and I would consider this film in terms of its transphobia, to be on parr with W. D. Griffith’s silent 1915 film, “Birth of a Nation”, notable for, oh yes, reviving the Ku Klux Klan.

And welcome back, if you needed to avoid the last section, and I totally understand after recording it, did I mention I wished I hadn’t given up alcohol, oh well, a nice cup of tea will have to do, I seem to remember a fictional character had a thing about tea.

And what a better way to return to celebrating trans films than one from 1999, which although does not, overtly feature trans people, was like Blade Runner in 1982, a visual game changer and one with a subtext that I totally missed at the time, although in my defence, I was probably not alone.

And in case you haven’t guessed already, the film was of course, “The Matrix”, directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski, and right from the opening scenes, to the amazing bullet time effects, you were ask to consider the meaning of reality itself.

I wonder what René Descartes, who in 1637 originated the phrase, “Cogito ergo sum”, “I think therefore I am”, would have responded to an imagined world, where even ones thoughts could not be trusted.

Lana and Lilly said in 2020, that the then trilogy of Matrix films are about being transgender, but the corporate world wasn't ready for an allegory about transgender people.

A definite spoiler alert, if their original intent for one character had been allowed, the character of “Switch”, would have been a man in the real world, and a woman in the Matrix, and would have left little doubt about the transgender message of “The Matrix”.

Another film from 1999, starred Hilary Swank, in the biographical film, “Boys Don’t Cry”, where she portrays the life of Bardon Teena, a trans man, and the prejudice they and their girlfriend, portrayed by Chloë Sevigny experienced.

What sets this film apart, is its rarity as one featuring a trans man.

The film was a critical and commercial success and is a tough watch, reflected in it being rated 18 in the UK, suitable only for adults, and initially NC-17 in the USA, although it was later given an R rating.

However some of those close to Brandon, felt that the events portrayed in the film were not accurate.

At the 2000 Academy Awards, Hilary Swank was awarded an Oscar for, wait for it, “best actress”, so consider this, a cisgender female actor, portraying a trans man, was awarded an Academy Award for best actress, you couldn’t make it up!

The Oscars are not alone, most ceremonies still have a variant of best, or best leading actress and actor, which doesn’t reflect the reality of gender today, therefore I feel they would be better called, Leading or Best, Female or Male Portrayal.

Therefore using the Oscar, that Hilary Swank was awarded, as an example, they could have been awarded an Oscar for Best Male Portrayal.

And we end with another comedy drama, and another from 1999, Pedro Almodóvar’s, Spanish language, “All about My Mother”, whose origin is their 1995 film “The Flower of My Secret”.

The film centres around Manuela Echevarria, portrayed by Cecilia Roth, an organ transplant coordinator at a Madrid hospital, and following a particular event, resigns from her job and searches for her son’s other mother, who is a trans woman, Lola, portrayed by, need I say, a cisgender man, Toni Cantó.

Later Manuela meets Agrado, who is an old friend and a transgender sex worker, this time for a change, portrayed by cisgender woman, Antonia San Juan.

The film also explores the impact of AIDS, gender identity, sexual orientation, faith, social stigma and existentialism, and anyone familiar with Pedro Almodóvar’s work, would not be surprised at the range of areas the film covered.

And that tea reference, it’s from, “The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy”.

Although this episode is a celebration of trans films, I couldn’t end it without mentioning a

television series, that I found hopeful, “Supergirl”, starring Melissa Benoist.

From series four until the final sixth series, they had as a main character, a trans women

superhero, Nia Nal, code name Dreamer, portrayed by a trans woman, Nicole Maines, now that, is something to celebrate.

And if you have enjoyed this episode, perhaps tell a friend.

This episode was written and presented by me, Carolyne O’Reilly, thank you for listening.

Next time, “What Are Words Worth”