Taboos on the big screen and gay sexuality

Are mainstream films becoming more open about gay sexuality on screen, as seen in Harry Styles' new drama My Policeman and Billy Eichner's Bros? Louis Staples asks whether this marks a shift towards greater tenderness and sensitivity in portrayals of gay sex in cinema. The sex scenes in My Policeman, a film about two men in the 1950s when homosexuality was illegal, garnered attention months before its release. Styles' comments in an interview with Rolling Stone, in which he criticized the lack of tenderness in gay sex scenes and emphasized the importance of showing that gay sex can be loving and sensitive, sparked controversy. Some accused Styles of reinforcing homophobic ideas about the acceptability of homosexuality as long as it is not too in-your-face.

Styles' comments in his Rolling Stone interview, in which he expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of tenderness in gay sex scenes and emphasized the importance of showing that gay sex can be loving and sensitive, sparked controversy. Critics suggested that Styles needed to be more familiar with the rarity of sex scenes between men in mainstream films and the ongoing taboo around depicting two men having sex. But after seeing My Policeman, it’s clear that the sex scenes are tender, but not censored. The film, which can be streamed on Prime Video from November 4th, is an adaptation of a 2012 novel by Bethan Roberts.

In My Policeman, sex is used as a tool for character development, showing the early stages of euphoria and the subsequent tensions in Tom and Patrick's relationship, as well as the awkwardness of Tom's marriage to Marion. When it came to filming the sex scenes between Patrick and Tom, director Michael Grandage suggested that the actors watch the 1959 romance Hiroshima, Mon Amour, for inspiration. The film's famous opening scene, in which hands are seen moving over naked bodies, had a big influence on Grandage. As he states, he wanted to tell the story as it is, and this was done through touching and seeing. At the same time, there needed to be a well defined sensuality because the film was planned in that way.

Director Michael Grandage encouraged the actors in My Policeman to watch Nicolas Roeg's 1973 thriller Don't Look Now, which has a famous, explicit, and controversial sex scene. The scene was so effective that there were rumors that Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland actually had sex on camera, which they have always denied. The sex scenes in My Policeman are unlikely to cause such a stir, but they have a similar realism to them. My Policeman's approach to same-sex intimacy is similar to Todd Haynes' 2015 romantic period drama Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara. Both films are set in the conservative 1950s and portray passionate sex scenes between two characters who can only fully express themselves behind closed doors. Basically, it’s all about a time in the UK when gay sex was considered illegal, and the producers tried to ensure that the audience could see these characters having the freedom they need in their intimacy. As a viewer in 2022, there is still a sense of liberation in seeing this intimacy candidly expressed in a mainstream film like this.

The portrayal of same-sex intimacy and nudity on screen has come a long way since 1964, when Brock Peters played one of the first openly homosexual characters in the US film Pawn Broker. Today, films such as My Policeman, Disobedience, and Fire Island feature more frequent and varied representations of queer sex. Alongside My Policeman, Bros has also been receiving attention for its depiction of gay relationships and sex. The studio gay rom-com, written and starring comedian Billy Eichner, includes several sex scenes that explore different aspects of gay relationships and offer both comedic and sentimental value. The film has been hailed as a historic moment for gay representation in film, although some critics have questioned its supposed radicalness.