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Journey With You (Chinese Series)

By Golu
I've always had kind of a love hate relationship with Chinese historical BLs. Some are genuinely excellent, but then there are others that cram in so much plot that keeping track of all the layers of betrayal and scheming gets exhausting, and I end up checking out mentally. Part of the issue is also just how much content is out there in this space, so something really has to stand out to keep me hooked. In this case, the production value is genuinely impressive, top tier stuff, but story wise, I just couldn't bring myself to actually care about these characters. There's a ton of political scheming and backstage manipulation running throughout. Somewhere in the middle of all that chaos, a hostage ends up falling for his own Prince Charming. The show runs eight episodes, each around 50 to 60 minutes long. After spending three years guarding the border, Fifth Prince Yin Qi gets called back to the capital because of a secret letter, only to end up walking straight into a deadly...
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Die Konsequenz (German) [The Consequence]

By Golu
It's almost impossible to comprehend that such a tragic gay love story came out back in 1977, almost 45 years ago. I mean, this has to be groundbreaking in its own. Its a proper love story filled with drama, love and tragedy and the homophobia that existed in those years (some things haven't changed despite all these years). Sure, some may question the taboo theme of an older man's love with a 15 year old boy, but I think its important to understand that the age on consent is/was probably lower in Europe, otherwise I can't imagine this film being allowed to be watched.

Martin, an actor by profession, is in prison for having sex with a 15 year old boy. Martin agrees to stage a fellow prisoner's play and it is here that he meets Thomas, the warden's teen-aged son. Before you know, Thomas is completely smitten by Martin and they sneak here and there to spend time together, but the warden gets wind of it, so they wait for the time till Martin is released. Once released, the duo meet and start living together and Thomas comes out gay to his family also. But the warden will have none of it. His father gets his own son arrested and condemned to a brutal reformatory. Martin obtains fake passport, poses as psychology doctoral candidate and helps Thomas escape with him to Germany. Here they are betrayed by a German homosexual friend of Martin whop forces himself on Thomas and is then kicked out of home and forced to prostate himself. Broken by these experiences, he voluntarily returns to the reformatory. When he reaches 21 and is released, he is so psychologically damaged that, despite reunion with Martin, he attempts suicide and is committed to a psychiatric hospital.

The film is apparently based on a book which is based on the author's personal experiences. The novel and film had a pivotal role in West Germany in starting a dialogue on the topic of homosexuality. Shot in black and white, I feel that this tragic love story is as relevant and as important today as it would hav been 45 years ago. The cinematography is beautiful and somehow feels fresh and new. The passion and the intimacy expressed by the two actors for each other was so real that you can feel how deeply and painfully they are in love with each other. And your heart breaks that the society would do anything possible to keep the lovers apart. Both actors are great and I can't imagine who they would hav been convinced to be ok with such intimate scenes with one another in those days. The biggest strength, however, apart from the acting is that this film uses homosexuality just as a framework and managed to construct an intriguing story inside that framework. It is very easy to feel for the couple and hope they will find a way to manage their struggles and overcome these obstacles that these dark times back them posed for homosexual couples. I can't imagine why this film is not known more in gay film circles and talked about, It is for sure an important piece if cinema is gay art circle and definitely deserves to be seen and appreciated. An important perspective of gays were treated and considered of back in 70s in Europe. (7/10)
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