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Day 255: January 10th, 2011
Boys Don't Cry
Great performances drive the film.
Kimberly Perice’s film Boys Don’t Cry is a moving piece that deals with such themes as identity, things not being what they seem, freedom, integrity and acceptance.
Brandon Teena is a young woman who portrays herself as a man. After some locals find this out they chase after her, which leads Brandon to another city, where she finds love that leads to hate.
The opening scene showing the main character driving down a road is mostly done with close-ups. The road, the eyes in the rear view mirror, we don’t know who this person is or where they are going. This character’s intentions are not clear. We don’t even know if it is a man or a woman, which is what the rest of the film deals with, the sexual identity of this character. We get a glimpse in the life of this character, and know that they desire to be someone they aren’t.
The theme of integrity and Brandon’s lack of integrity as a male and of other characters plays a key role in the plot. Brandon just wanted freedom to wander the world without fear, without judgment from others. The film takes the viewer on a journey of discovery, we ourselves try to figure out who we are and why we do the things we do. Hilary Swank is remarkable as the lead, playing two characters in one. Chole Sevigny holds her own against Swank, she knows Brandon’s secret, but tries to hide it, which leads to horrible things.
Boys Don't Cry
Great performances drive the film.
Kimberly Perice’s film Boys Don’t Cry is a moving piece that deals with such themes as identity, things not being what they seem, freedom, integrity and acceptance.
Brandon Teena is a young woman who portrays herself as a man. After some locals find this out they chase after her, which leads Brandon to another city, where she finds love that leads to hate.
The opening scene showing the main character driving down a road is mostly done with close-ups. The road, the eyes in the rear view mirror, we don’t know who this person is or where they are going. This character’s intentions are not clear. We don’t even know if it is a man or a woman, which is what the rest of the film deals with, the sexual identity of this character. We get a glimpse in the life of this character, and know that they desire to be someone they aren’t.
The theme of integrity and Brandon’s lack of integrity as a male and of other characters plays a key role in the plot. Brandon just wanted freedom to wander the world without fear, without judgment from others. The film takes the viewer on a journey of discovery, we ourselves try to figure out who we are and why we do the things we do. Hilary Swank is remarkable as the lead, playing two characters in one. Chole Sevigny holds her own against Swank, she knows Brandon’s secret, but tries to hide it, which leads to horrible things.