'Great Freedom' movie review: Franz Rogowski stars as a German imprisoned for beg gay - The Washgton Post

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• ‘GREAT FREEDOM’ PROVIS A RAW, UNPROMISG LOOK AT THE PERSECUTN OF GAY MEN EAST GERMANYLOVE IS LOVEFILMMAKER SEBASTIAN MEISE’S LATT IS A GUT-WRENCHG DRAMA ABOUT GERMANY’S HISTORIL CELTY AGAST GAY MEN, LED BY AN OUTSTANDG TURN OM ACTOR FRANZ ROGOWKSI. NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED MAR. 05, 2022 4:18AM EST / PUBLISHED MAR. 05, 2022 12:53AM EST CANN FILM FTIVAL/FREIBTERFILM_ROHFILMGREAT FREEDOM TAK S TLE OM THE NAME OF A NIGHTCLUB THAT HANS HOFFMANN (TRANS’S FRANZ ROGOWSKI) ATTENDS 1969 AT THE NCLN OF SEBASTIAN MEISE’S WRENCHG DRAMA (OUT NOW THEATERS)—AN TABLISHMENT OF UNHIBED HOMOSEXUALY, NOW THAT GERMANY’S ANTI-GAY PARAGRAPH 175 STATUTE HAS BEEN RELAXED. NOHELS, TE EEDOM IS A TRICKY AND PLITED MODY THE DIRECTOR’S LONG-AWAED FOLLOW-UP TO 2011’S STILL LIFE, PECIALLY FOR HANS, WHO’S REPEATEDLY RCERATED OVER S UNR THE AFOREMENTNED LAW FOR THE CRIME OF WANTG TO BE WH OTHER MEN. A PORTRA OF LIBERATN FLOURISHG UNEXPECTED PLAC, PULS WH QUIET ANGUISH, LONGG AND FIANCE, LED BY A ROGOWSKI PERFORMANCE THAT NVEYS ASTONISHG PTHS MIMALIST GTUR.HANS IS TRODUCED AN OPENG MONTAGE OF 16MM FILM CLIPS SHOT OM BEHD A TTAGE’S BATHROOM SK MIRROR; EACH SNIPPET, HE ENGAG A SEXUAL ACT WH A STRANGER, TH MAKG CLEAR HIS PROCLIVI. THIS SURREPTLY RERD MATERIAL IS EVINCE A 1968 URT SE AGAST HIM, WHICH ENDS WH A SWIFT NVICTN AND A SENTENCE OF 24 MONTHS. IN EAST GERMANY, PARAGRAPH 175 OUTLAWS SUCH BEHAVR, AND HANS IS SENT OFF TO PRISON, WHERE HE GO THROUGH AN ADMTANCE PROCS LIKE A SEASONED PRO. JT AS THE THORI’ MERA STARED AT HIM WHILE HE PLEASURED HIS PARAMOURS, SO TOO DO GUARDS NOW STAND BY AND WATCH AS HANS STRIPS OUT OF HIS CLOTH AND SPREADS HIMSELF FOR SPECTN, UNRLG HOW SOCIETY SYSTEMATILLY GAZ AT HIM (OFTEN THE NU, AS WHEN HE’S LATER THROWN TO SOLARY NFEMENT), AND DAMNS HIM FOR WHAT SE. HANS OPERAT A SEWG MACHE THE LNDRY ROOM, AND ’S THERE THAT HE NOTIC LEO (ANTON VON LUCKE), ONE OF THE MEN WH WHOM HE’D PREVLY SHARED SOME BATHROOM-STALL TIMACY AT THE TTAGE. THOUGH HANS MAY BE THE OBJECT OF EVERYONE ELSE’S NMNATORY SCTY, HE’S A MAN WHOSE OWN EY ARE TENSELY GEY AND NFINT, SENDG D MSAG THROUGH SMALL, SLY LOOKS AND LIKEMD EXPRSNS, SUCH AS THE SE THAT SOMETIM CREEPS, ALMOST IMPERCEPTIBLY, TO THE RNER OF HIS MOUTH. ROGOWSKI’S TURN IS MARVELO FOR BEG SO ILED AND YET SO MUNITIVE, AND NO MATTER HANS’ PERSECUTN AND MONIZATN—CLUDG OM FELLOW MAT WHO OBJECT TO HIS HOMOSEXUALY—HE RRI HIMSELF WH UNFLAPPABLE NFINCE. HE’S A MAN WHO KNOWS WHO HE IS, WHAT HE WANTS, AND HOW HE N GET , EVEN A PLACE WHERE THE NCRETE WALLS AND HUMORLS GUARDS ARE TERMED TO KEEP HIM ALONE AND ALIENATED OM ANY SPARK OF JOY.THOUGH HANS HAS EY FOR LEO—A TIMID TEACHER WHO’S SPENDG HIS FIRST STT BEHD BARS, AND WHO ULTIMATELY FDS HANS A RELIABLE PROTECTOR AND PARTNER—HIS LASTG RELATNSHIP IS WH VIKTOR KOHL (GE FRIEDRICH), WHO 1968 IS A JUNKIE ON THE VERGE OF A NEW PAROLE HEARG. HANS AND VIKTOR’S NNECTN IS THE NARRATIVE THROUGH-LE OF GREAT FREEDOM, WHICH SOON LEAPS BACKWARD TIME TO 1945 TO WNS HANS FIRST ENTERG THE SAME PRISON AS A MTACHE-EE YOUNGER MAN. A RECENT RINT OF A NAZI NCENTRATN MP, HANS HAS TRAD ONE TENTN CENTER FOR ANOTHER, AND HE’S IMMEDIATELY PLACED A CELL WH VIKTOR, WHO’S DISGTED AT HAVG TO SHARE SPACE WH A HOMOSEXUAL MAN. NEVERTHELS, UPON HEARG ABOUT HANS’ WWII ORAL, HE OFFERS TO TATTOO SOMETHG OVER THE PERMANENT INTIFITN NUMBERS LG HANS’ FOREARM, THEREBY IATG A BOND THAT WILL VELOP OVER THE ENSUG YEARS. BETWEEN VIKTOR’S TATTOO NEEDLE PIERCG HANS’ SK, HANS’ STRAW POKG HOL A BIBLE ORR TO TRANSM A SECRET MSAGE TO A LOVER, THE CIGARETTE THAT’S PERPETUALLY BETWEEN HANS’ LIPS, A STIRRG PAT BSH, AND A MAN BLOWG FURLY TO A SAXOPHONE, PHALLIC AND SEXUALIZED IMAGERY ABOUNDS GREAT FREEDOM, ALBE WH A SUBTLETY THAT’S ENMIC TO THE PROCEEDGS. MEISE OFTEN LEANS HEAVILY ON SILENCE AND LAMENTG TMPET TO ADD WEIGHT AND SORROW TO HIS DRAMA, AS WELL AS OPPRSIVE DARKNS THAT AT TIM SEEMS TENT ON SWALLOWG HANS WHOLE. IN SUCH A BLEAK ENVIRONMENT, HANS’ MATCH PROVI THE ONLY FLICKER OF LIGHT—AN UNRSTATED VISUAL METAPHOR FOR HIS TERNAL ATTEMPTS TO KEEP HIS TE SELF ALIVE A WORLD THAT SEEKS TO ANNIHILATE .IN A 1957 PASSAGE, HANS SUFFERS JAIL WH BOYIEND OSKAR (THOMAS PRENN), WHO ARTICULAT HOW MUCH HE ADMIR HANS FOR HIS FEARLSNS, A QUALY WHICH OSKAR SAYS HE LACKS. GREAT FREEDOM IS A FILM ABOUT LIVG AND LOVG NO MATTER THE HIGH ST, AND THE PA, MISERY AND TRAGEDY THAT DOG SO N ENTAIL. HANS IS TRAPPED BETWEEN BEG HIMSELF AND SOMEONE WHO N SAFELY SURVIVE A NATN THAT SPIS HIM, AND THE PATH HE CHARTS IS A JAGGED ONE, MARKED BY PFALLS HE DON’T FOREE OR DON’T RE TO HEED. HIS RAPPORT WH VIKTOR IS SIARLY RAGGED, WH VIKTOR FALLG TO SUBSTANCE ABE AND PENNCE AT THE SAME TIME THAT HE DRAWS CLOSER TO HANS. THEIR UNN IS FED THROUGH BLUNT SEXUAL ACTS OF NEED, POWER AND SIRE, AND MEISE SHOOTS THEM—AND THE RT OF HIS TRYSTS—WH AN EXPLICNS THAT’S TUNE WH THE OVERARCHG ROUGHNS AND LDNS OF HIS STORY’S I. “IN SUCH A BLEAK ENVIRONMENT, HANS’ MATCH PROVI THE ONLY FLICKER OF LIGHT—AN UNRSTATED VISUAL METAPHOR FOR HIS TERNAL ATTEMPTS TO KEEP HIS TE SELF ALIVE A WORLD THAT SEEKS TO ANNIHILATE .” IN A LATE SCENE, HANS AND VIKTOR WATCH NEIL ARMSTRONG TAKE HIS MOMENTO FIRST STEPS ON THE MOON, TO WHICH VIKTOR MENTS, “I THOUGHT WOULD BE MORE EXCG.” HAPPS, HOWEVER, DISCREET FORMS MEISE’S FILM, SUCH AS VIA HANS’ EFFORTS TO HELP VIKTOR SHAKE HIS DG HAB BY FIRST KNEELG BI HIM AS HE VLENTLY P TO A TOILET, AND AFTERWARD CRADLG HIM A WARM EMBRACE. GREAT FREEDOM SUGGTS THAT THERE’S EEDOM GIVG AND RECEIVG SELFLS LOVE, AND TH ’S THE SIGHT OF VIKTOR CRAWLG TO BED TO SPOON WH HANS (ON THE NIGHT FOLLOWG THE NSUMMATN OF THEIR RELATNSHIP) THAT ROUNDS THE LOUST, EXUDG AN ACHG TENRNS THAT’S FAR MORE PROFOUND THAN THE PRR RNALY DULGED BY EHER MAN.MEISE’S HAB OF SPYG ON HIS CHARACTERS DOORWAYS AND WDOWS, AS WELL AS THROUGH OTHER VISUAL AM, SPEAKS TO HANS AND VIKTOR’S STATE OF NSTRICTG NFEMENT. YET DURG THE FALE, HANS DISVERS THAT EMANCIPATN ISN’T AS CLEAR-CUT AS SEEMS, AND THAT PERHAPS THE PLACE WHERE ONE FEELS MOST EE HAS LTLE TO DO WH WALLS, BARS, OR L. GREAT FREEDOM RAIS SUCH QUTNS BUT WISELY REF TO OFFER PEDANTIC ANSWERS, STEAD CHOOSG TO ACCEPT—AS HANS DO—THE MSY AMBIGUY OF MORN LIFE. NICK SCHAGER
• ‘GREAT FREEDOM’ PATS A HNTG PORTRA OF AN IMPRISONED GAY MAN
• IN 'GREAT FREEDOM,' A MAN IS EED OM THE NAZIS, AND RE-IMPRISONED FOR BEG GAY
• GREAT FREEDOM REVIEW – POWERFUL GAY​​ PRISON DRAMA​ ​SET POSTWAR GERMANY

‘GREAT FREEDOM’ PROVIS A RAW, UNPROMISG LOOK AT THE PERSECUTN OF GAY MEN EAST GERMANYLOVE IS LOVEFILMMAKER SEBASTIAN MEISE’S LATT IS A GUT-WRENCHG DRAMA ABOUT GERMANY’S HISTORIL CELTY AGAST GAY MEN, LED BY AN OUTSTANDG TURN OM ACTOR FRANZ ROGOWKSI. NICK SCHAGERENTERTAMENT CRICUPDATED MAR. 05, 2022 4:18AM EST / PUBLISHED MAR. 05, 2022 12:53AM EST CANN FILM FTIVAL/FREIBTERFILM_ROHFILMGREAT FREEDOM TAK S TLE OM THE NAME OF A NIGHTCLUB THAT HANS HOFFMANN (TRANS’S FRANZ ROGOWSKI) ATTENDS 1969 AT THE NCLN OF SEBASTIAN MEISE’S WRENCHG DRAMA (OUT NOW THEATERS)—AN TABLISHMENT OF UNHIBED HOMOSEXUALY, NOW THAT GERMANY’S ANTI-GAY PARAGRAPH 175 STATUTE HAS BEEN RELAXED. NOHELS, TE EEDOM IS A TRICKY AND PLITED MODY THE DIRECTOR’S LONG-AWAED FOLLOW-UP TO 2011’S STILL LIFE, PECIALLY FOR HANS, WHO’S REPEATEDLY RCERATED OVER S UNR THE AFOREMENTNED LAW FOR THE CRIME OF WANTG TO BE WH OTHER MEN. A PORTRA OF LIBERATN FLOURISHG UNEXPECTED PLAC, PULS WH QUIET ANGUISH, LONGG AND FIANCE, LED BY A ROGOWSKI PERFORMANCE THAT NVEYS ASTONISHG PTHS MIMALIST GTUR.HANS IS TRODUCED AN OPENG MONTAGE OF 16MM FILM CLIPS SHOT OM BEHD A TTAGE’S BATHROOM SK MIRROR; EACH SNIPPET, HE ENGAG A SEXUAL ACT WH A STRANGER, TH MAKG CLEAR HIS PROCLIVI. THIS SURREPTLY RERD MATERIAL IS EVINCE A 1968 URT SE AGAST HIM, WHICH ENDS WH A SWIFT NVICTN AND A SENTENCE OF 24 MONTHS. IN EAST GERMANY, PARAGRAPH 175 OUTLAWS SUCH BEHAVR, AND HANS IS SENT OFF TO PRISON, WHERE HE GO THROUGH AN ADMTANCE PROCS LIKE A SEASONED PRO. JT AS THE THORI’ MERA STARED AT HIM WHILE HE PLEASURED HIS PARAMOURS, SO TOO DO GUARDS NOW STAND BY AND WATCH AS HANS STRIPS OUT OF HIS CLOTH AND SPREADS HIMSELF FOR SPECTN, UNRLG HOW SOCIETY SYSTEMATILLY GAZ AT HIM (OFTEN THE NU, AS WHEN HE’S LATER THROWN TO SOLARY NFEMENT), AND DAMNS HIM FOR WHAT SE. HANS OPERAT A SEWG MACHE THE LNDRY ROOM, AND ’S THERE THAT HE NOTIC LEO (ANTON VON LUCKE), ONE OF THE MEN WH WHOM HE’D PREVLY SHARED SOME BATHROOM-STALL TIMACY AT THE TTAGE. THOUGH HANS MAY BE THE OBJECT OF EVERYONE ELSE’S NMNATORY SCTY, HE’S A MAN WHOSE OWN EY ARE TENSELY GEY AND NFINT, SENDG D MSAG THROUGH SMALL, SLY LOOKS AND LIKEMD EXPRSNS, SUCH AS THE SE THAT SOMETIM CREEPS, ALMOST IMPERCEPTIBLY, TO THE RNER OF HIS MOUTH. ROGOWSKI’S TURN IS MARVELO FOR BEG SO ILED AND YET SO MUNITIVE, AND NO MATTER HANS’ PERSECUTN AND MONIZATN—CLUDG OM FELLOW MAT WHO OBJECT TO HIS HOMOSEXUALY—HE RRI HIMSELF WH UNFLAPPABLE NFINCE. HE’S A MAN WHO KNOWS WHO HE IS, WHAT HE WANTS, AND HOW HE N GET , EVEN A PLACE WHERE THE NCRETE WALLS AND HUMORLS GUARDS ARE TERMED TO KEEP HIM ALONE AND ALIENATED OM ANY SPARK OF JOY.THOUGH HANS HAS EY FOR LEO—A TIMID TEACHER WHO’S SPENDG HIS FIRST STT BEHD BARS, AND WHO ULTIMATELY FDS HANS A RELIABLE PROTECTOR AND PARTNER—HIS LASTG RELATNSHIP IS WH VIKTOR KOHL (GE FRIEDRICH), WHO 1968 IS A JUNKIE ON THE VERGE OF A NEW PAROLE HEARG. HANS AND VIKTOR’S NNECTN IS THE NARRATIVE THROUGH-LE OF GREAT FREEDOM, WHICH SOON LEAPS BACKWARD TIME TO 1945 TO WNS HANS FIRST ENTERG THE SAME PRISON AS A MTACHE-EE YOUNGER MAN. A RECENT RINT OF A NAZI NCENTRATN MP, HANS HAS TRAD ONE TENTN CENTER FOR ANOTHER, AND HE’S IMMEDIATELY PLACED A CELL WH VIKTOR, WHO’S DISGTED AT HAVG TO SHARE SPACE WH A HOMOSEXUAL MAN. NEVERTHELS, UPON HEARG ABOUT HANS’ WWII ORAL, HE OFFERS TO TATTOO SOMETHG OVER THE PERMANENT INTIFITN NUMBERS LG HANS’ FOREARM, THEREBY IATG A BOND THAT WILL VELOP OVER THE ENSUG YEARS. BETWEEN VIKTOR’S TATTOO NEEDLE PIERCG HANS’ SK, HANS’ STRAW POKG HOL A BIBLE ORR TO TRANSM A SECRET MSAGE TO A LOVER, THE CIGARETTE THAT’S PERPETUALLY BETWEEN HANS’ LIPS, A STIRRG PAT BSH, AND A MAN BLOWG FURLY TO A SAXOPHONE, PHALLIC AND SEXUALIZED IMAGERY ABOUNDS GREAT FREEDOM, ALBE WH A SUBTLETY THAT’S ENMIC TO THE PROCEEDGS. MEISE OFTEN LEANS HEAVILY ON SILENCE AND LAMENTG TMPET TO ADD WEIGHT AND SORROW TO HIS DRAMA, AS WELL AS OPPRSIVE DARKNS THAT AT TIM SEEMS TENT ON SWALLOWG HANS WHOLE. IN SUCH A BLEAK ENVIRONMENT, HANS’ MATCH PROVI THE ONLY FLICKER OF LIGHT—AN UNRSTATED VISUAL METAPHOR FOR HIS TERNAL ATTEMPTS TO KEEP HIS TE SELF ALIVE A WORLD THAT SEEKS TO ANNIHILATE .IN A 1957 PASSAGE, HANS SUFFERS JAIL WH BOYIEND OSKAR (THOMAS PRENN), WHO ARTICULAT HOW MUCH HE ADMIR HANS FOR HIS FEARLSNS, A QUALY WHICH OSKAR SAYS HE LACKS. GREAT FREEDOM IS A FILM ABOUT LIVG AND LOVG NO MATTER THE HIGH ST, AND THE PA, MISERY AND TRAGEDY THAT DOG SO N ENTAIL. HANS IS TRAPPED BETWEEN BEG HIMSELF AND SOMEONE WHO N SAFELY SURVIVE A NATN THAT SPIS HIM, AND THE PATH HE CHARTS IS A JAGGED ONE, MARKED BY PFALLS HE DON’T FOREE OR DON’T RE TO HEED. HIS RAPPORT WH VIKTOR IS SIARLY RAGGED, WH VIKTOR FALLG TO SUBSTANCE ABE AND PENNCE AT THE SAME TIME THAT HE DRAWS CLOSER TO HANS. THEIR UNN IS FED THROUGH BLUNT SEXUAL ACTS OF NEED, POWER AND SIRE, AND MEISE SHOOTS THEM—AND THE RT OF HIS TRYSTS—WH AN EXPLICNS THAT’S TUNE WH THE OVERARCHG ROUGHNS AND LDNS OF HIS STORY’S I. “IN SUCH A BLEAK ENVIRONMENT, HANS’ MATCH PROVI THE ONLY FLICKER OF LIGHT—AN UNRSTATED VISUAL METAPHOR FOR HIS TERNAL ATTEMPTS TO KEEP HIS TE SELF ALIVE A WORLD THAT SEEKS TO ANNIHILATE .” IN A LATE SCENE, HANS AND VIKTOR WATCH NEIL ARMSTRONG TAKE HIS MOMENTO FIRST STEPS ON THE MOON, TO WHICH VIKTOR MENTS, “I THOUGHT WOULD BE MORE EXCG.” HAPPS, HOWEVER, DISCREET FORMS MEISE’S FILM, SUCH AS VIA HANS’ EFFORTS TO HELP VIKTOR SHAKE HIS DG HAB BY FIRST KNEELG BI HIM AS HE VLENTLY P TO A TOILET, AND AFTERWARD CRADLG HIM A WARM EMBRACE. GREAT FREEDOM SUGGTS THAT THERE’S EEDOM GIVG AND RECEIVG SELFLS LOVE, AND TH ’S THE SIGHT OF VIKTOR CRAWLG TO BED TO SPOON WH HANS (ON THE NIGHT FOLLOWG THE NSUMMATN OF THEIR RELATNSHIP) THAT ROUNDS THE LOUST, EXUDG AN ACHG TENRNS THAT’S FAR MORE PROFOUND THAN THE PRR RNALY DULGED BY EHER MAN.MEISE’S HAB OF SPYG ON HIS CHARACTERS DOORWAYS AND WDOWS, AS WELL AS THROUGH OTHER VISUAL AM, SPEAKS TO HANS AND VIKTOR’S STATE OF NSTRICTG NFEMENT. YET DURG THE FALE, HANS DISVERS THAT EMANCIPATN ISN’T AS CLEAR-CUT AS SEEMS, AND THAT PERHAPS THE PLACE WHERE ONE FEELS MOST EE HAS LTLE TO DO WH WALLS, BARS, OR L. GREAT FREEDOM RAIS SUCH QUTNS BUT WISELY REF TO OFFER PEDANTIC ANSWERS, STEAD CHOOSG TO ACCEPT—AS HANS DO—THE MSY AMBIGUY OF MORN LIFE. NICK SCHAGER

Great Freedom tak s tle om the name of a nightclub that Hans Hoffmann (Trans’s Franz Rogowski) attends 1969 at the ncln of Sebastian Meise’s wrenchg drama (out now theaters)—an tablishment of unhibed homosexualy, now that Germany’s anti-gay Paragraph 175 statute has been relaxed.

Rogowski’s turn is marvelo for beg so iled and yet so munitive, and no matter Hans’ persecutn and monizatn—cludg om fellow mat who object to his homosexualy—he rri himself wh unflappable nfince. A recent rint of a Nazi ncentratn mp, Hans has trad one tentn center for another, and he’s immediately placed a cell wh Viktor, who’s disgted at havg to share space wh a homosexual man.

‘GREAT FREEDOM’ PATS A HNTG PORTRA OF AN IMPRISONED GAY MAN

It follows the fictnal Hans Hoffmann (Franz Rogowski), a gay German who, for most of the narrative, is behd a brief prologue 1968, the film backtracks to the end of World War II, as Hans is beg remand to civilian ctody om a work mp. Another mastay is the character of Viktor (Ge Friedrich), a nvicted murrer and junkie who evolv, over the years, om Hans’s homophobic cellmate to — well, somethg else entirely. The tle is ironic and refers, on one level, to the name of a gay bar that Hans viss 1969, upon his release, and on another level to what the poet Robert Frost once lled the eedom that om beg “easy your harns” — that is, the level of fort that aris, paradoxilly, a state of rtrat.

116 movie reviews om The Post‘Great Freedom’ pats a hntg portra of an imprisoned gay man‘Great Freedom’ pats a hntg portra of an imprisoned gay manIn ‘Pete Maman, ’ two girls meet and form an enchanted bondIn ‘Pete Maman, ’ two girls meet and form an enchanted bond‘Memoria’ is a hntg, transcennt, unfettable film‘Memoria’ is a hntg, transcennt, unfettable film. In 'Great Freedom, ' a man is eed om the Nazis, and re-imprisoned for beg gay. Adrian Florido speaks wh actor Franz Rogowski about the movie "Great Freedom, " where a German man is imprisoned for beg gay.

IN 'GREAT FREEDOM,' A MAN IS EED OM THE NAZIS, AND RE-IMPRISONED FOR BEG GAY

Some gay men sent to ncentratn mps Nazi-era Germany were eed and sent right back to prison after the war end. FLORIDO: What was about this role of a man imprisoned solely for beg gay that appealed to you?

ROGOWSKI: I didn't thk that 's a gay story. At the start of the movie, Viktor is disgted by Hans's homosexualy.

And Franz Rogowski’s remarkable, ntaed performance as Hans Hoffman, a gay man who spends much of his life prison, persecuted for his sexualy acrdance wh paragraph 175 of the German penal ceas to have the same meang behd bars, but thanks to a strikg physil transformatn, Rogowski guis through a nonlear storyle spanng 1945 – Hans is released om a ncentratn mp only to be imprisoned immediately for the crime of his homosexualy – to 1969 and the repeal of paragraph 175.

GREAT FREEDOM REVIEW – POWERFUL GAY​​ PRISON DRAMA​ ​SET POSTWAR GERMANY

Anyone faiar wh Rob Epste and Jefey Friedman’s powerful 2000 documentary feature, Paragraph 175, will regnize that tle as the provisn of the German penal that sanctned horrific Nazi persecutn of homosexuals, a law datg back to 1871. The openg is an stant attentn-grabber, showg men cisg a public rtroom for sex — “ttagg, ” gay parlance — as a hidn mera ptur their furtive enunters.

That mak homophobic Viktor ially hostile 1945, kickg Hans out and mandg that the guards place him elsewhere.

There’s bter irony Hans’ ia that they should flee after their release to East Germany, where unlike the supposedly mocratic Wt, gay men are not locked up for nsensual sex. The way that each of them reacts to the prospect of eedom — or Hans’ se the realy, explored the labyrthe unrground sex chambers of a gay jazz club — is quietly affectg.