Ep# 52 - Sapphic Cinema in the 60s

While the end of the decade ushered in an explosion of gay rights movements, it’s no secret that the 1960s were not exactly the friendliest decade for LGBTQ people. When it comes to showing lesbians on film, there seemed to be a bit more wiggle room – in the same way laws were more punishing towards male homosexuality, the female variety seemed to be allowed to get away with being more openly about gay issues. Or you know, about peering into the lives of some “very close friends”… with benefits. The films that managed to get wide release in the ‘60s remain notable, both in their attempts to understand the plight of the gay community and serve as sometimes embarrassing reminders of how little progress we’ve made in cinematic representation.

In this episode, Bart and Jenna take a worldwide tour of lesbian cinema – specifically avoiding pornography and exploitation cinema, even though some of these blur the lines a bit. But nevertheless, they open their minds and hearts and experiment with a variety of films that explore the highs and lows of sapphic love.

The following films are discussed:

• The Children’s Hour (1961)
Directed by William Wyler
Starring Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner

• Manji (1964)
卍(まんじ)
Directed by Yasuzô Masumura
Starring Ayako Wakao, Kyōko Kishida, Eiji Funakoshi

• The Cats (1965)
Kattorna
Directed by Henning Carlsen
Starring Eva Dahlbeck, Gio Petré, Monica Nielsen

• The Fox (1967)
Directed by Mark Rydell
Starring Sandy Dennis, Anne Heywood, Keir Dullea

• Les Biches (1968)
Directed by Claude Chabrol
Starring Jacqueline Sassard, Stéphane Audran, Jean-Louis Trintignant

• The Killing of Sister George (1968)
Directed by Robert Aldrich
Starring Beryl Reid, Susannah York, Coral Browne

• Le Altre (1969)
Directed by Alessandro Fallay
Starring Erna Schurer, Monica Strebel, Raul Lovecchio

Also mentioned:

• Walk on the Wild Side (1962)
Directed by Edward Dmytryk
Starring Jane Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck, Capucine

• The Balcony (1963)
Directed by Joseph Strick
Starring Shelley Winters, Peter Falk, Lee Grant

• The Haunting (1963)
Directed by Robert Wise
Starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson

• Persona (1966)
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
Starring Bibi Andersson, Liv Ullmann, Margaretha Krook

• The Nun (1966)
La religieuse
Directed by Jacques Rivette
Starring Anna Karina, Liselotte Pulver, Micheline Presle