Reflections In A Golden Eye (1967)

Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Julie Harris, Brian Keith.

Summary

A moody drama about a career Army officer and his nymphomaniac wife. Based on the novel by Carson McCullers.

Review

I'd always wondered why this was considered one of the 'original' homoerotic movies, but on viewing the movie, I see now only too clearly.

Marlon Brando's performance as the tense, repressed, army officer is clearly pointing out that despite outward appearances, he is a man with heavy homosexual longings. He cannot function sexually with his wife, and instead, throws himself into his army duties, among his men, where he feels comfortable. When the soldier who is sent to tidy his garden, and care for his wife's horse, is discovered riding naked in the woods, Brando's character is so clearly mesmerised by the man's masculine beauty, that his obsession appears to escalate.

Taylor as the slutty, demanding Southern wife, overacts slightly, but still, she gives the character enough flesh for you to have at least a little sympathy for her, as well as the husband.

It's a slow moving, but very intense movie, which for the time it was made, and considering the huge stars playing the lead, is quite shocking in it's openly gay themes.

Well worth a watch if you're interested in the history of gay themed movies.