Michael, Mädchen in Uniform and Victor and Victoria
Black & White, 1924, 1931 and 1933
Language: Silent and German with English titles
Running time: 4 hours

by Ashley Jane

I have a lot to learn about queer cinema. It’s always been something of intense interest to me, but also a secret that for decades I had to cautiously and nervously seek out when no one was looking. And believe me - some folks were always looking. Now that I’m out and proud, free to be myself without worry, I have been enjoying learning about gay history. Why are we all here though? MOVIES. Movies can be simple escapism, or a gateway to deep reflection. They can be a way to learn, or a way to unlearn. They can make you happy, or break your lil heart. Thankfully this full scope of emotion is on display in Kino Marquee’s Pioneers of Queer Cinema virtual cinema event happening this June for Pride month.

There are three movies being showcased for this event. Michael (1924), Mädchen in Uniform (1931), and Victor and Victoria (1933). My short review is: watch them all! They are all very worthy of your attention. However, lemme break ‘em down into three categories. The Heartbreak, The Hopeful and The Lighthearted.

The Heartbreak
(for fans of Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Victim, Play It As It Lays)

Ah, my specialty. The kind of movies that just make you cry and cry. And then cry. There are many of these in queer cinema, especially in the early years. Sadly, this is because it just wasn’t plausible for these characters to have happy endings in societies that still criminalized and actively hated homosexuality. Many tragic, gay love stories conclude with one or both parties having to shrink back to choose a “traditional” lifestyle apart from the one they had a passionate love for. But when does that love end? Well… with death.

Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Michael is sensitive, grand, upsetting, compassionate and heartbreaking. Claude Zoret is a famous and widely celebrated artist who has fallen in love with one of his models, Michael. For some time, they are happy together, as Michael continues to inspire Zoret’s creativity. However, this relationship is threatened with the arrival of a bankrupt and needy princess, who at first sets her focus on the wealthy Zoret, but soon sees she will have more luck swaying the younger Michael.

Michael sees less and less of Zoret, and instead continues to use Zoret’s ever generous love as a way to get money to keep his princess happy. He sells paintings and sketches given to him, and goes as far as robbing Zoret, who constantly looks the other way and just keeps giving.

Dreyer’s approach to the material is very welcome in that he is not manipulating the audience. He is not dictating how we should feel, he is just presenting the facts (most beautifully, I must add). Perhaps you will watch it and have a different take than I did.

One way to see this is as a love triangle between Zoret, Michael and Princess McUser (her official name), but a relationship built on what you can get from someone else is not my kind of love. For hopeless romantics like me, the true love story is between Zoret and his ever loyal companion, Switt. This is how I will choose to remember this film. As Zoret lays on his deathbed in his empty manor stripped of its grandeur, while Michael lounges in luxury, Switt is constantly by his side as a support.

“Now I can die in peace, for I have seen true love.” (He’s totally talking about Switt, just sayin’. This makes it infinitely more sad.)

The Hopeful
(for fans of Carol, Desert Hearts, Happy Together, Moonlight)

So you can handle sadness, but want one of those endings that gives you just a glimmer of hope? Oh, me too! If you’re feeling this kind of way, may I suggest Leontine Sagan’s Mädchen in Uniform. I have already written a (massively wordy) review of this film for the winter 2019 print issue of Moviejawn. So in this case, I will try to sum it up: this is one of my very favorite films I have ever seen in my entire life. I mean it. It tells the story of a teen girl, Manuela, who is sent to a boarding school after the death of her mother. As it turns out, all of the girls at this school have a common interest: Fräulein von Bernburg. It doesn't take long for Manuela’s crush to grow into a deeper passion, as we watch her struggle to learn what to do with these feelings, and ultimately, how to cope with the fallout of expressing them.

Another noteworthy thing about this film is that it is a very brave commentary on fascism, in the way that the boarding school is run. Manuela is blacklisted as a dangerous associate because of her “unnatural desires” and is isolated from the other girls who are given orders to ignore her or be punished. Rather than accept this as “just the way it’s always been”, we see the other young girls stand up and refuse to allow Manuela to be treated this way. A rebellion ripples through the school as these young people choose to demand change and stand in solidarity with their friend who has been treated unfairly just because of being different. It’s beautiful. Take note, people.

The Lighthearted
(for fans of Cabaret, Hairspray)

Guess what!? Queer culture is also fun! If you’re in the mood for a bit of fun, I suggest Victor and Victoria. I first knew of this story because of the 1982 film Victor/Victoria which I watched as a young girl dressed up in old suits and ties, obsessed with Julie Andrews. In it, we follow an aspiring singer Susanne who, while waiting to catch her big break, meets fellow performer Viktor. He decides to take her under his wing and suggests Susanne fill in for him in his drag performance one night while he is sick. She does, and it is a huge success! Susanne has found her calling, as a woman playing a man playing a drag performer.

Susanne is discovered by a talent agent and becomes a famous success. However, things become difficult when Susanne realizes how this nonstop performance leads to many complications involving gender politics and most importantly, love.

I’m admittedly more into sad dramas than musicals (and this is a very… musical musical), however I can appreciate it for what it is - a bit of fun. The costumes are great, the performances are funny and it is entertaining. I just wish it were a little more “out there”. It’s a tad conservative for my liking. But it has style. Just like Susie in her tuxedo.

Something that must be said for all three films is that they look beautiful. The transfers are crisp and clean while still holding on to the charm of old film. I had previously seen two of these movies and the quality cannot be compared to earlier prints I have seen. It’s so important to keep films like these alive for us and for future generations to discover as well. So whether you’re into the heartbreak, the hopeful or the lighthearted, there’s a pioneering film of queer cinema for you.

Watch these flicks via virtual cinema, more information available at Kino Marquee here.