Homosexuality In The Hollywood Film Analysis

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Introduction This paper deals with the interrelation between villainy and queerness in the Hollywood cinematic history. The paper postulates that queer characters and queerness have been ever-present in the mainstream American cinema since its advent. However, time periods differed as to the severity of censorship and moral evaluation of queer characters. Beginning of the 19th century with its relatively light censorship and heavily stereotypical comic and dramatic queer characters gave way to the period of the Motion Picture Production Code which officially lasted from 1930 to 1968 and put major limitations on the way film-makers could or could not portray queer characters. We argue that this period had defining influence on the portrayal of queer characters in the following decades and up to recent times and served to create particular tenacious tropes. The paper takes a chronological look at the queer representation in the Hollywood movies from the beginning of the 20th century onwards and their historical context. The paper employs both the original movies and a number of scholarly works, in particular The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies by Vito Russo, which upon its release was revolutionary in its analysis of queer characters throughout Hollywood film history, and Monsters in the Closet by Harry M. Benshoff, which deconstructs Hollywood’s perception of homosexuality exemplified in the horror movie genre. Terminology Before divulging into the main
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