I am quite proud of myself nowadays. When I have a choice between a movie that can give me something predictable and familiar and a movie that can remind me of different lifestyles and viewpoints . . . I try to split my time between those two different kinds of art/entertainment. Okay, I spent yesterday watching Happy Gilmore 2. But today I watched The Living End, another great slice of nihilistic queer cinema from writer-director Gregg Araki. I may have some idea about what I'll get from a typical Araki movie nowadays, having seen and enjoyed a number of his other features, but his work is often quite a wild ride, and wittily transgressive.
Essentially the story of two lovers on the road, Jon (Craig Gilmore) and Luke (Mike Dytri), once our two main characters actually encounter one another and give in to the strong chemistry between them, this is also a fascinating look at how far people will go when they find something that might be worth living for . . . despite being handed what was once effectively a death sentence. Jon and Luke are both HIV-positive, and there wasn't as much knowledge or care available back in the late '80s and early '90s, when it was viewed by many ignorant homophobes as the "gay plague".
I have mentioned this before, perhaps repeatedly, but it's fascinating to see just how Araki started off so strong. While he obviously didn't have a big budget for the camerawork, audio, or even cast members, his directorial voice comes through every sequence loud and clear. Maybe that's to do with the fact that he had something to say that wasn't being represented in many other films, and those themes and conversations might also be why he's so often forgotten when it comes to discussing the influential film-makers who helped to shape the 1990s. While I may sound like someone desperate to earn some cool points after turning up late to the party, as ever, Araki is genuinely someone who should be mentioned by film fans just as much as Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, David Fincher, et al. Maybe he is, and maybe I'm just in a film fan conversation bubble that doesn't make space for him. I don't think so though, but I would very much welcome people coming along to tell me I am wrong.
The cast may not be able to deliver much range and nuance, but both Gilmore and Dytri do well enough to keep putting Araki's message across, and they convincingly pounce upon one another when giving in to their obvious urges. Mary Woronov and Johanna Went have very fun cameo roles, Darcy Marta is sweet and easy to like in her role, and Nicole Dillenberg and Bretton Vail have their small amount of screentime overshadowed by the fact that they're playing a married couple named Barbie and Ken.
Despite the praise I have piled upon Araki here I should note the rough edges that may put off some viewers. The dialogue is sometimes overcooked and reminiscent of some melodrama from a bygone age. Jon and Luke aren't just how they present themselves in the here and now, they're "lovers on the lam" rushing between moments of potential violence and their own sexual gratification. The dialogue could often be ripped from a James Dean or Montgomery Clift movie, and I'm sure that's a very deliberate choice. There's also the picture quality. You can see everything that you need to see, but let's just say that this isn't the kind of film likely to be scrubbed up and given an IMAX release any time soon.
If it wasn't clear from my tangent praising Araki in this review, The Living End is a great little film. It's crackling with an energy and relevance, certainly in relation to when it was first released. It's part of an ongoing conversation that is bigger than film, and Araki shouts his talking points at us to make up for the many who either never found their voice, never found a decent platform, or never found anyone around them to actually fully open their ears and mind to what needed to be said.
8/10
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