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Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Undescribable Perfection

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

A documentary surveying the various Hollywood screen depictions of homosexuals and the attitudes behind them throughout the history of North American film.Even today (2017) when homosexuality is more or less considered normal, this is an impressive documentary. Some of the scenes covered have long been known to be filled with gay subtext. But many others had never occurred to me, and to hear the stars and writers freely speak about them is quite a treat and changes the way a film is approached.Even more amazing, this film came out in 1995, when homosexuality was still not quite mainstream. Growing up in the 1990s, I never found gay themes strange (thanks to such directors as Gregg Araki) but knew it was not socially acceptable. To find the film is based on a much earlier book, which in turn had started as lectures as far back as 1972... wow!

The Celluloid Closet is a wonderful documentary that gives an overview of homosexuality in films throughout the decades. This film manages to be both a joy to watch, while giving rare insights into classic films through actors and screenwriters such as Tony Curtis, Gore Vidal, Jay Presson Allen, and Whoopi Goldberg. Celluloid Closet manages to give a frank view of how homosexuals were portrayed without condemning or belittling any group of people. There was startling revelations of how far homosexuality had to come; from being portrayed as "sissies", villains, completely ignored, something to be ashamed of, or something to be condemned. The discussion of how homosexuals were made into villains was particularly shocking and upsetting. In addition, the Hays Codes surprises a modern film goer with the strict regulations. The documentary brings to light how movie producers managed to get the point across while being subtle enough to avoid being cut. Perhaps most importantly, the Celluloid Closet captures how gay people felt ostracized and ashamed while watching films growing up. Overall, this film was a joy to watch, funny, at times heartbreaking, and a must see for anyone interested in queer cinema, one could only wish for a continuation into today's films.

The Celluloid Closet was a film that documented the use of homosexual characters in the world of Hollywood. Clips from films with LGBTQ characters, actors and writers of those movies, and current actors and actresses were all used to help display the history of the progression of homosexual characters in movies. The documentary was shown in chronological order, from the 1930s to the early 1990s, emphasizing the stereotypical and sometimes unfair to normal ways in which homosexuals were portrayed. The commentary from the actors, actresses, and actors provided an entertainment and informative factor that kept the audience attentive to the subject of the documentary. It was interesting to see how in the films, LGBTQ had transitioned from light hearted humorous characters, to stereotypical sissies, to villainous individuals suffering from some sort of mental illness. Hollywood has such an effect to the everyday life that many individuals in Presbyterian Church called for a reform on the homosexual exposure in films. The Hays Codes being enforced and the amount of censorship that had to be enforced in movies made directing a film with a homosexual character in it much more difficult. The coded language and subtle movements by the actors portraying the LGBTQ characters made it clear to audiences that there was homosexual exposure in the film, just not so obvious. This film is highly recommended for it brings new knowledge of the film world to light, in regards to the issue of homosexuality. It also depicts a clear representation of how the values of different eras change drastically throughout time. Because the documentary was made in the early 1990s, it would be interesting to see how the commentators view LGBTQ characters in film today.

This was a very good documentary about the treatment of homosexuals in films. It presents a somewhat thorough journey from showing homosexuality in a very negative light (such as psychos) to the more modern sympathetic and normalization of gay life in films.However, from a historical viewpoint, it wasn't particularly complete or thorough, as in the years before the newly enforced Production Code (1934), there were quite a few films about gays. While some were the mincing stereotypical images, many were not and silent and international films had quite a few gay or heavily implied characters--all of which was ignored in this documentary. If you are looking for this, like I am, then this film ain't it.My final complaint is something you can't blame on this documentary. Because the film was made in 1995, many of the complaints about not having enough gay images in film seems rather out of date, as gay characters abound not only in film but seem to abound on television. The complaint I have is that although the many gays about on television because they are incredibly clichéd--usually being noble (to the point of nausea in some instances) or campy and clever (like the "Queer Eye" folks). While not politically correct, showing gays who are jerks, country folk (NOT like you'd see in DELIVERANCE), average folks, Mexicans, baseball players, pizza delivery guys or even idiots would be a nice change of pace--at least this would make them more three- dimensional.