Have you seen any of these throwback classics?
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY THE MIRISCH COMPANY
As you can imagine, the 60s were not the easiest time to be LGBTQIA+. The Stonewall Uprising wouldn’t come until the end of the decade, bringing queer civil rights to the forefront finally. For many LGBTQIA+ people, being out meant discrimination, abuse and potential imprisonment. It’s natural, perhaps, that the cinema made about LGBTQIA+ people was often steeped in stereotypes, sexualisation or seediness.
However, there were some films that came out of this period that weren’t just straight-up porn or anti-gay propaganda. Here are some films from the archive you might not have heard of.
The Children’s Hour (1961)
Starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine, this film tells the story of two schoolteachers whose lives are disrupted when a student spreads malicious gossip about them having an indecent relationship. When one of the women reveals that there may be some truth to the rumours, tragedy strikes. While the film has been slated for falling into classic tropes like queer shame and Bury Your Gays, it was still pretty radical for a story about queer love to even make it to the big screen. Not only that, but to have one of the main characters be openly queer was also a pretty big deal.
Manji (1964)
This Japanese film all about sapphic love is so famous it has been remade multiple times, the most recent being in 2023. Based on the 1928 novel Quicksand by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki, the story follows a bored housewife who falls for art student Mitsuko. The affair is intense, passionate and makes for great watching.
The Killing Of Sister George (1968)
This film made shockwaves when it was released for its blatant depiction of lesbian love. The drama follows June, an ageing lesbian actor who loses her job at the same time that her partner leaves her. At the time of release, it was viewed as particularly shocking for including a lesbian sex scene.
Le Altre (1969)
This Italian rom-com focuses on what it means to be a family. Directed by Alessandro Fallay, the film follows a lesbian couple who are looking to have a baby. They just need a sperm donor. Combined with the stresses of family planning, the pair also have to face a nosy journalist who wants to expose their story.
Walk On The Wild Side (1962)
If you’re a fan of Jane Fonda, it’s likely that you’ve already seen this pivotal queer classic. Walk On The Wild Side follows a lovesick man attempting to find his former girlfriend, Hallie, who works in a brothel. Things don’t go to plan when the brothel’s Madam views the girls as her property. Or when Hallie is actually in love with a woman named Jo.
The Haunting (1963)
For fans of Netflix’s The Haunting Of Hill House, it’s important that you also consider its predecessor The Haunting. In both adaptations of Shirley Jackson’s novel, the character of Theodora is queer-coded. While Theodora’s lesbianism isn’t as explicit in this 60s adaptation, it was still vital representation at a time when lesbians were largely being painted as predators or villains in the media.
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