Fool that I am, I came for Jeanne Moreau. I soon realized I wasn't in Kansas anymore. Suffice it to say, this just wasn't for me. Lame voice over narration, wooden acting, and campy phallus-filled sets set a bad tone early on. The story never developed into anything interesting, as seriously as it took itself, and the dialogue was not exactly profound, to put it kindly. There is an empowerment in the blunt representation of gay desire and sex, but the characters seemed like stereotypes, not real people. The incestual overtones, sweaty sailors, softcore sex, robotic speeches, cuts to lengthy quotes from Genet's original work, and overall lack of any kind of real humanity wore on me, making the 108 runtime a torture. It's a mess, and quite boring under Fassbinder's direction. Even Moreau's banter with Brad Davis towards the end was devoid of emotion (though enjoy):
"You know, I've dreamt a lot about your prick lately." "Yeah? Was it nicer in your dreams?" "No. I'm very satisfied. You have a solid, heavy, massive prick. Not elegant, but strong."
"You know, I've dreamt a lot about your prick lately." "Yeah? Was it nicer in your dreams?" "No. I'm very satisfied. You have a solid, heavy, massive prick. Not elegant, but strong."