Thinking about heroes and parents - in literature and often in history itself, the Hero is orphaned and or utterly rejects his parents. Think Alexander the Great, whose father is dead and who never sees his mother again after he leaves Macedon. Or so many of Dickens leading male characters who create a non blood family for themselves - like a "band"? The death of our parents, or their rejection, offers a new path for the individual
Jan 11, 2023·edited Jan 11, 2023Liked by Iona Italia
Freddie certainly was a force to be reckoned with, and this comes across clearly in Malek's performance. I stand firmly in the, "I know it's not true to history, but it's a glorious film with the perfect cast for the job," camp. This isn't to even mention the soundtrack, obviously. It's stylised, legend-forming, and survivor bias all rolled into one, and that's okay; as I've had to remind myself countless times over the past several years, not everything needs to be an exact telling, no matter how much you'd like it to be.
I didn't get a homophobic feeling watching it either. Prenter's made to be the villain of the piece no matter the truth*, that much is obvious, but homosexuality doesn't appear to me to be a villain either, especially given Freddie's seemingly kinder relationship with Hutton. It represented a truth of the gay scene at the time, having to hide in the shadows most of the time, but as attitudes changed, so did his relationships. That's how I see it anyway.
Those bookends were spot on. For most of my life I had no idea he wasn't even English by ethnicity, but finding out he wasn't just made me more interested in his background, not less, and it certainly didn't evoke that word. I see it as pointing towards racial attitudes not having moved on as much as ones of sexuality, at least in the eyes of the director.
I'd not seen that performance of 'Ziggy Stardust'. Wow. 😍
Oh, and if any man questions his sexuality, just show them an hour of Freddie or David. That'll convert 'em. 😂
*Given his use of the slur, I'd say at the time he was a bitter person at the very least.
Thinking about heroes and parents - in literature and often in history itself, the Hero is orphaned and or utterly rejects his parents. Think Alexander the Great, whose father is dead and who never sees his mother again after he leaves Macedon. Or so many of Dickens leading male characters who create a non blood family for themselves - like a "band"? The death of our parents, or their rejection, offers a new path for the individual
Freddie certainly was a force to be reckoned with, and this comes across clearly in Malek's performance. I stand firmly in the, "I know it's not true to history, but it's a glorious film with the perfect cast for the job," camp. This isn't to even mention the soundtrack, obviously. It's stylised, legend-forming, and survivor bias all rolled into one, and that's okay; as I've had to remind myself countless times over the past several years, not everything needs to be an exact telling, no matter how much you'd like it to be.
I didn't get a homophobic feeling watching it either. Prenter's made to be the villain of the piece no matter the truth*, that much is obvious, but homosexuality doesn't appear to me to be a villain either, especially given Freddie's seemingly kinder relationship with Hutton. It represented a truth of the gay scene at the time, having to hide in the shadows most of the time, but as attitudes changed, so did his relationships. That's how I see it anyway.
Those bookends were spot on. For most of my life I had no idea he wasn't even English by ethnicity, but finding out he wasn't just made me more interested in his background, not less, and it certainly didn't evoke that word. I see it as pointing towards racial attitudes not having moved on as much as ones of sexuality, at least in the eyes of the director.
I'd not seen that performance of 'Ziggy Stardust'. Wow. 😍
Oh, and if any man questions his sexuality, just show them an hour of Freddie or David. That'll convert 'em. 😂
*Given his use of the slur, I'd say at the time he was a bitter person at the very least.