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Poster for The Celluloid Closet

The Celluloid Closet

1996 · 102 min

An exuberant, eye-opening tour through a century of film clips and candid interviews, equal parts entertaining and quietly enraging.

Overview
Exuberant, eye-opening movie that serves up a dazzling hundred-year history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Film contains fabulous footage from 120 films showing the changing face of cinema sexuality, from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s.

Search YouTube for the trailer

Stream in the UK
  • MUBI Amazon Channel
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • upliftingstrength 2 of 3
  • satiricalstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
brisk, 3 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • identity
  • media
  • sexuality
  • art
  • power
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • documentary
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror1
Humour5
Realism9
Romance4
Tension3
Darkness5
Complexity6
Emotional weight6

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Where to watch in the UK

Stream
  • MUBI Amazon Channel
Rent
  • Amazon Video
Buy
  • Apple TV Store
  • Amazon Video

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
documentary, history
Directed by
Jeffrey Friedman, Rob Epstein
Written by
Armistead Maupin
Starring
Lily Tomlin, Tony Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Gore Vidal, Whoopi Goldberg, Antonio Fargas, Shirley MacLaine, John Schlesinger
Music
Carter Burwell
Cinematography
Nancy Schreiber
Runtime
102 min
Country
France, Germany, United Kingdom, United States of America
Languages
English

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