By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: David Heilbroner | Kate Davis
Country: united_states
Year: 2010
Running time: 80
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1562450/
Bruce says: “This documentary examines the aftermath of the infamous riots which occurred on June 28, 1969 when police raided the Stonewall Tavern on Christopher Street, near Sheridan Square in New York’s Greenwich Village. The film uses a quote from one of the participants, ‘it was our Rosa Parks moment,’ to define its importance to the LGBTTQ community. Until then most homosexuals were forced to live closeted lives. Bars were the social centers of the gay community; bar raids were common police practice across the nation, even in Illinois the only state where homosexuality was not illegal. Police in New York City became more aggressive during the 1964/65 World’s Fair when they were told to ‘clean up the weirdness.’ The only reason gay bars thrived through it all was because the Mafia realized there were huge profits to be gained by operating and supplying gay bars. And no one messed with the Mafia in those days.
“STONEWALL UPRISING is detailed in its depiction of gay life prior to this historical event. Homosexuals were treated as deviants – given lobotomies, administered electric shock treatments, castrated and institutionalized. When arrests were made, names and addresses were printed in local papers ruining family relationships and destroying professional careers. Archival footage shows Detective John Sorensen lecturing to Florida high school students in a Dade County auditorium. Warning against homosexual acts he warns, ‘You will be caught. Your parents will be informed.’ At moments like this, one realizes the great extent to which our culture has changed.
“Sadly there is almost no footage from the actual Stonewall event, not surprising since The New York Times only had a small piece on the riot and there was virtually no television coverage. There are ways to compensation for such gaps in content. For example, animation of the event would have been a wonderful device.
“A few still photos depict young men and a few drag queens who were regulars. A couple of news photos are nondescript. Several participants in the riot are in the film but they are poorly identified. The film has too few talking heads – a greater breadth would have made a better film. Three of the most important ‘heads’ are two reporters from The Village Voice and one of the policemen involved in the raid. The film does rightfully mention that without Selma, without the Summer of Love, without the Feminist Movement, Stonewall might never have happened. The film’s saving grace is the wonderful editing of Kate Davis who gets more mileage out of less substance than one could imagine possible. 3 1/2 cats”
Alex says: “I was at the (Film Forum) opening of this film because one of the talking heads (Jerry Hoose) is a good friend.
I was really shocked at the CBS news program in the mid 60s where David Susskind said ‘homosexuals are incapable of having long term relationships’ or words to that effect. Boy, have times changed. And speaking of talking heads, although I never made it to the movie about Candy Darling (and I don’t know if they’ve found a distributor), Jerimiah Newton, the rather large talking head of that film was my boyfriend in 1967 (when we were both slim and good looking) and I was right there with him during those times.”