The Boys in the Band (1970)
I found The Boys in the Band, hereinafter “the film”, to be a breakthrough production in
terms of queer representation in film. The film was innovative given its place in history and even
by today’s standards regarding the diversity of members of the queer community. Unlike most of
its predecessors in queer film, The Boys in the Band was completely overt both in script and
physical interaction regarding previously hidden topics in film such as multiple sexual
preferences, inclinations, and identities.
Through its wardrobe selection, script, acting, and music selection the film showcased an
unprecedented depiction of the life of gay men during the time. Both this as well as its success
can be attributed to the liberation movement and the eradication of the Production Code.
According to Hart, the liberation movement was a crusade comprised of multiple protests aimed
at “launching the contemporary gay-rights movement, increasing gay visibility, and motivating
positive shifts in cultural attitudes toward gay homosexuality” (46).
The liberation movement positively changed the nation’s perception towards gays and it
occurred right before the production was filmed clearly evidencing their direct relation regarding
the acceptance of the film and its grand success. Due to the newly increased acceptance of gays
from audiences, the film creators had more freedom than before to be overt without facing
negative results in terms of ratings or commercial success, or rather the possibility of negative
outcomes decreased. Thus, allowing them to explicitly demonstrate a variety of personalities,
backgrounds, and preferences among gays.
The eradication of the Production Code also greatly attributed to this film’s ability of
blatantly showing gay relationships, inclinations, and preferences to the national audience
without facing legal repercussions. The Production Code was a law that prohibited films from
showing any homosexual behaviors or inclinations and its removal clearly facilitated the film’s
creation and showcase. More specifically, the film showed men kissing each other on the lips,
men dancing romantic ballads together, and the actors spoke of engaging in sexual activity with
members of the same sex multiple times.
Besides explicitly communicating the sexual orientation and preferences of the
characters, the film also provided an unprecedented diverse representation of gay men which
simultaneously slightly diverted away from common stereotypes. Although the film retains some
of the typical negative attributes issued to gays in queer cinema including mental/emotional
issues such as hysteria and depression, I found the film’s attitude toward queer culture to be a
supporting one. I interpreted the inclusion of the sad scenes to be the filmmaker’s approach at
generating and increasing sympathy and even perhaps empathy from its audience towards the
