Title: SONG OF THE LOON
Year of Release: 1970Director: Andrew Herbert, Scott HansonGenre: Drama, RomanceSynopsis: In the American West of the 1870s, a young gay man, Ephraim MacIver, explores his sexuality, particularly his affair with the older, understanding Cyrus Wheelwright.
Within a film history context: Homosexuality in motion pictures was not a common occurrence before the eventual breakdown of film censorship in the late 1960s. There were, though, examples of subtly-drawn gay characters and themes in films before SONG OF THE LOON. One of the first documented movies in this vein was Sidney Drew's A FLORIDA ENCHANTMENT (1914). In this film, a man and a woman undergo transformations into a gay man and a lesbian via the effect of seeds. It was one of the earliest films to examine gay sexuality in motion pictures, albeit in a comical manner. The love affair of two male musicians was explored in the German film DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS (1919), directed by Richard Oswald. Blackmail comes to the fore in this movie, with true love thwarted by a scheming man seeking to make the lovers pay for their forbidden love, with famous German actor Conrad Veidt in the lead as one of the harried musicians. In comparison, another German film, Carl Theodor Dreyer's MICHAEL (1924) spotlighted a gay painter's lover for his male model, and the difficulties their union faced.
Into the 1930s and 1940s, gay characters were most likely to be presented in a comic vein, unlike the other examples here mentioned, and in supporting roles. Notable divergences from this were found in Pre-Code 1930s American movies such as SUNNY SKIES (1930), directed by Norman Taurog, with a gay romance story, and Raoul Walsh's SAILOR'S LUCK (1933), which also had a gay character. Of the 1940s movies ROPE (1948), featured a murderous gay couple, but in line with the censorship of the period, this was very much inferred with delicacy. Moving into the 1950s, there were several intimations of gay characters slightly more open in nature than those of beforehand, with some that definitely pushed the boundaries.
Possibly the most explicit gay themed film of its era, although a short movie, was Jean Genet's A SONG OF LOVE (1950). Set in a jail with prisoners and a guard among its characters, it concentrated upon sexuality, glimpses of nudity, and fantasy in a manner that was a first for its time. Another French film, the full-length THE TERRIBLE CHILDREN (1950), directed by Jean-Pierre Melville, contained a gay character, played by a female actress in a dual role, in a more conventional narrative of heterosexual romance with some homosexual undertones. With Vincente Minnelli's TEA AND SYMPATHY (1956) matters were entirely different. A thoughtful young man is believed to be gay, everyone attempting to change him, but finding sympathy with the wife of his coach. A bowdlerized film version of the stage play, it nonetheless treated its main character with empathy, despite references to homosexuality being discreet. SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER (1959), directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, was much more open about its gay character. Although the character's face is never shown, the impact of his presence in the movie is what propels the narrative, and his death is what drives his cousin, played by Elizabeth Taylor, to mental illness. Seguing into the 1960s, a gradual loosening of the Production Code brought forth franker films with more openly gay protagonists.
In Gregory Ratoff's British movie OSCAR WILDE (1960) the film followed the famous writer's legal trials and travails with his homosexuality, with Robert Morley in the lead role. Another British picture, A TASTE OF HONEY (1961), directed by Tony Richardson, featured a gay character in this realistic study of a young woman and her family issues. A more devastating view of gay issues and discrimination was presented in Basil Dearden's VICTIM (1961). The taut tale of a married barrister undone by a past gay affair, and involvement with blackmailers, it showcased Dirk Bogarde in one of his finest performances. ADVISE AND CONSENT (1962), directed by Otto Preminger, was similar to VICTIM in the main character's past homosexuality coming back to haunt him, but this time, running for Secretary of State in the United States government. Bryan Forbes' THE L-SHAPED ROOM (1962) had a minor gay character within its structure, in this case a musician. A more in-depth examination of homosexuality was in TAKE IT ALL (1963), directed by, and starring Claude Jutra. In this movie, a man's difficulty in coming to terms with his sexual orientation, and relationship with a black woman, made up the content of this film. Sidney J. Furie's THE LEATHER BOYS (1964) had a gay motorbike rider in its canvas, with a scene in a gay bar also shown. BUS RILEY'S BACK IN TOWN (1965), directed by Harvey Hart, offered a minor character of the gay mortician who wants to offer more than employment to lead protagonist Bus. John Schlesinger's DARLING (1965) had a gay photographer in a small part, common for many films of the era to have a homosexual character in a supporting role.
INSIDE DAISY CLOVER (1965), directed by Robert Mulligan, was an expose of Hollywood, and starred Robert Redford in a role as a man with a shadowy gay sexual orientation. The controversy surrounding this did not help the film at the box office, where it was not a success. More explicit was Andy Warhol and Chuck Wein's MY HUSTLER (1965). The story of an older hustler pursuing a younger one, it was one of many of Andy Warhol's gay-themed films to reach audiences in the 1960s. Much more subtle in tone was WINTER KEPT UP WARM (1965), directed by David Secter. The friendship between two young university students, and their complex feelings for each other, was tackled by the director in this intricate movie. Jean-Claude Lord's DELIVER US FROM EVIL (1966) also had a storyline rooted in human emotion, with gay desire and bisexuality being the burning topics. In contrast John Huston's REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE (1967), also treated its subject with candor, being an army colonel whose interest in an army private causes him to commit murder.
A western theme was the basis for LONESOME COWBOYS (1968), directed by Andy Warhol. Featuring five gay cowboys provoking mayhem and sexual exploits, it was another in the director's unconventional works. In marked contrast, a tense mood thoroughly enveloped John Flynn's THE SERGEANT (1968). The story of an army sergeant, and his passion for a private, was studied in much greater detail than in the related REFLECTIONS OF A GOLDEN EYE, and provided Rod Steiger an excellent role as the eponymous sergeant, with John Phillip Law as the object of his obsession. A complex view of homosexuality was captured in TEORAMA (1968), directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. An Italian family receives a visitor at their home, who changes their lives, male and female, both sexually and otherwise. A different perspective on sexual relations, it was one of the director's most intimate, challenging works.
Bryan Forbes' DEADFALL (1968) had a treacherous gay character whose actions influenced much of the goings-on in the movie with his dishonest ways. FLESH (1968), directed by Paul Morrissey, was another of Andy Warhol's movies with gay overtones, this time a male prostitute who services both men, and women among his exploits. Guilt about homosexuality, and its aftermath, was played out in Gordon Douglas' THE DETECTIVE (1968). An incisive portrait of a police detective searching for the killer of a man believed to been gay, it was an excellent showcase for Frank Sinatra in the lead role of the undaunted investigator. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969), directed by John Schlesinger, was similar to FLESH in that its male character works as an escort, but here diverges from that film in the sympathetic treatment of its lead protagonist. He comes into contact with several gay men in the course of his escorting, but this is treated in a more serious fashion than the casual FLESH, where there are no tragic consequences for that character. Luchino Visconti's THE DAMNED (1969) was of a darker nature than the other examples. Homosexual activity in this movie is depicted as being depraved, and its participants likewise, with its Nazi-era setting in Germany.
FELLINI'S SATYRICON (1969), directed by Federico Fellini, featured a male-male gay couple, and some related entanglements, in this raucous story set in ancient Rome. In a comical style was Bruce Kessler's THE GAY DECEIVERS (1969). Two young men act as gay to avoid being drafted to the Army, but their decision entails difficulties of its own, especially as they attempt to keep their heterosexual lives on the side. An intentionally comical take on the gay theme, it was notable for also having serious undertones. HUNTING SCENES FROM BAVARIA (1969), a German film directed by Peter Fleishmann, was concerned with a man's sexual orientation, and how this causes problems in the Bavarian village in which he resides. In complete contrast, overtly humorous, if broad, was Stanley Donen's THE STAIRCASE (1969). The tale of two older gay men who operate a barber shop, it was not well received critically, despite starring Rex Harrison and Richard Burton as the central duo. SONG OF THE LOON was a new slant on the depiction of gay characters and themes in cinema for a number of reasons.
With SONG OF THE LOON, it was one of the first instances in film history where there was no doubt that gay characters were the overriding focus of the narrative. While in the other movies gay characters often supported the central protagonists, either as a contrast to the heterosexual characters and unions, or for humorous effect, in SONG OF THE LOON they were the end all and be all of the picture. SONG OF THE LOON had elements in common with features such as DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS, MICHAEL, and WINTER KEPT US WARM in terms of its male-male unions. It shared the sympathetic treatment that their characters received in those films, and chronicled the obstacles which they faced in order to be together. The tone, and lives of the characters in SONG OF THE LOON were serious, with no caricatures present such as the farcical couple in THE STAIRCASE. Aside from this, discrimination against gay characters was another theme that SONG OF THE LOON examined within its context.
While not presented in an exhaustive manner, racism directed toward gay characters was largely in the form of a single character in SONG OF THE LOON, Montgomery, who himself was gay, but deeply closeted. It was a twist on the blackmailing character in DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS who wanted to harm the gay couple, with Montgomery being more mixed up in his sexual orientation than seriously malignant. Montgomery was, in effect, the softer, more photogenic version of the villains in DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS and VICTIM. Montgomery is also of interest for other reasons. In his sexual ambivalence, he is also similar to INSIDE DAISY CLOVER's bisexual character, and REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE's army colonel, both grappling with their orientation. Other features of SONG OF THE LOON are deserving of analysis.
There are no heterosexual opponents to the gay characters in SONG OF THE LOON, which is another striking aspect of the movie, or female characters present anywhere. There are no women who are empathetic of gay characters, such as in SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, or TEA AND SYMPATHY. Having women characters present would have complicated the series of events, and brought out other angles that could have made SONG OF THE LOON more intricate. In one way not having a distaff side is unrealistic in terms of lacking a broad base of characters to work with, but could be seen in another light. This could be chalked up to the fact that SONG OF THE LOON was, by and large, made to appeal to a predominately gay audience. It was a gay male fantasy come to life, 'free' of the 'restrictions' of having female characters in the story. In addition to this, SONG OF THE LOON was also different from other films in the genre for another reason.
SONG OF THE LOON was rooted in a spiritual, other-worldly view of homosexuality, and the acceptance of this. The main message of the movie was that it was okay to be gay, and that once one comes to terms with this, that they can move on with their lives. It largely lacked the guilt about being gay which infused films such as TEA AND SYMPATHY, ADVISE & CONSENT, REFLECTIONS IN A GOLDEN EYE, and THE SERGEANT, where it caused much drama, and, in some cases, tragedy. On the other hand, SONG OF THE LOON did not possess the sleaze which pervaded movies such as LONESOME COWBOYS, FLESH and THE DAMNED. Even though SONG OF THE LOON had the nudity aspect in common with FLESH, it was more in an aspirational vein than this, and the other two examples, by its equating of nudity and sex with the purity and freshness of the great outdoors, and of finding one's true self. In SONG OF THE LOON, the notion that sex and nudity were dirty was not present, and things of which to be ashamed. A notable example of a gay-themed movie, SONG OF THE LOON is a film that should be seen as a curious counterpoint to the other, better known pictures in the genre.
Overview: SONG OF THE LOON was a motion picture which had a troubled production history. The original director, Scott Hanson, was fired from the project as the film was largely completed, and replaced by Andrew Herbert. Mr Hanson had made a short film released in 1969, THE CLOSET, and this was the overriding reason for his participation in SONG OF THE LOON. Andrew Herbert had a number of movies to his credit as editor, and later in other capacities such as sound. Mr Herbert was credited as director in the theatrical print, but for the purpose of this review, will be looking at the film by giving acknowledgement to both directors for their work on it.
The directors have styled a movie that is thoughtful, with quite a few positive traits. Upon seeing the film poster, one would expect that SONG OF THE LOON is a controversial, nihilistic work with very few redeeming qualities. The filmmakers' claims about the novel, based upon a book by Richard Amory being both shocking, and erotic in its time, may have been truer in the late 1960s and early 1970s than nowadays. SONG OF THE LOON is, at heart, a meditative work that reflected its times in an allegorical manner, particularly with reference to gay rights and sense of identity in late 1960s/early 1970s United States, although set in the 1870s. The Stonewall Riots were particularly notable in this era, and the movie captures the mood of the times with its narrative. Notions of love, and acceptance, are not only pertinent to gay people but also to humanity at large. The film explores these themes through its characters, and how they handle the hate and fear which is sometimes directed toward them. There is also a leaning toward mysticism in SONG OF THE LOON, and how when mind, body and soul are working together, that life can be better for everyone. While the film has honest intentions, the delivery of some of these could have been better handled.
The use of full male nudity, and eroticism, seems to have various purposes in the movie. On the one hand, there is an inherent rebellion in displaying these, encouraged by the breakdown of censorship, which made such filmic images difficult to exhibit beforehand. The ability to show these images, and scenes, was something of a watershed in this era for cinema. Aside from this, there is also the implication that nudity equals freedom, which the film highlights on many an occasion in its copious outdoor location sequences. Freedom to express oneself, and their desires, is something that SONG OF THE LOON does through its objectification of the male form, and the main sequence of male-male coupling. This movement, though, does create problems of its own. SONG OF THE LOON does veer into exploitation territory with its sex and nudity, especially when it has no reason to exist, such as the fantasy scene with a naked Montgomery pointing a gun at Ephraim. These sequences do take away a little of the film's contemplative mood, and stand out for the wrong reasons. It also points to the fact that the nudity and sex were obviously included for the purposes of notoriety, to draw people into the theatre to see illicit images and scenes, thus ensuring a high profile, and hopefully, high box office takings. There are, though, other flaws in SONG OF THE LOON which do not assist its cause, specifically in its storytelling.
While the highlighting of the Cyrus/Ephraim pairing is the film's main storyline, there is not much of a backstory for Cyrus. It would have been interesting to have found out more about him as he was the movie's most intriguing character. Additionally, the Montgomery/Calvin duo does not receive as much airtime as Cyrus and Ephraim, and just appear sporadically through the course of the film. Montgomery is supposed to be an arch-villain, but we hardly see any of him. Scenes between Ephraim and Montgomery would have helped in informing viewers about their past relationship, but these never appear in a clear form. The relationship between Montgomery and Calvin catches fire at the end of the movie with Calvin's admission of love, but there was no real build up beforehand, despite this scene being well-handled. Omissions such as these emphasize that the film needed further work to make it more credible, but possibly this was due to production turmoil making its presence felt through the film. A movie with good intentions but scattered delivery, SONG OF THE LOON is notable for presenting gay characters and situations in its oddly affecting way.
Acting: THE SONG OF THE LOON has a beguiling cast of actors who in the main contribute convincing performances. As Cyrus Wheelwright, John Iverson is perfect as the charming, patient man who shows the tentative Ephraim MacIver the meaning of love. Mr Iverson seems at home in the western setting, a subtle Western hero, his gentle humor and sensibility working in conjunction with a passionate side that gives the film a thoughtful aura. Morgan Royce, as the film's main character Ephraim MacIver, does not do as well. While Mr Royce attempts to make the character credible, unfortunately, it never comes off as being persuasive, and this is one of the film's lesser aspects. Two other performers, though, do great jobs with their roles in the film.
Jon Evans, as the mean-spirited Montgomery, does excellent work with his malevolent character. While Montgomery is all bluster and curtness, Mr Evans makes one think there is much more to him that meets the eye with his sharp line readings. The last acting of note was by Brad Fredericks as Calvin, Montgomery's partner in crime. As with Jon Evans and several other members of the cast, Mr Fredericks does not enjoy sufficient coverage, but Calvin's proclamation of love toward the closeted Montgomery is believable, and comes from the heart.
Soundtrack: Ken Carlson's instrumental score works beautifully in SONG OF THE LOON, evocative of classic Hollywood scores of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. It enhances the movie's contemplative mood, lending it an ambience of grace.
Mise-en-scene: SONG OF THE LOON has an extensive amount of location filming, and this assists the movie in providing audiences with an authentic viewing experience. The lakes, forests, and other places where the movie was shot in California are handsomely captured in Eastmancolor, something that definitely could not be duplicated inside a studio. The tinting of frames in the love scene between Cyrus and Ephraim is also striking in adding a surreal note to the movie. Other aspects of SONG OF THE LOON are also conspicuous. Costuming is appropriate to the characters, and the western era garments lend the film an extra note of realism, such as Cyrus' clothes, and loincloths worn by American Indian characters such as John.
Notable Acting Performances: John Iverson, Jon Evans, Brad Fredericks.
Suitability for young viewers: No. Infrequent male nudity, adult themes, low-level violence.
Addendum: SONG OF THE LOON is also of interest not only because of its content, which would have been daring at the time, but also as its cast seem to have disappeared. Whether having heterosexual performers, whom I believe were the majority of actors in the film, play homosexual characters had a detrimental effect on the careers of these actors is highly possible, and unfortunate. The making of this film, and the behind the scenes details, would definitely be something fascinating to discover, as there is a dearth of information about it in existence.
Overall Grade: CLink: IMDB Page
