Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Who’s not heard of this movie, right? it’s supposed to be one of the Anthem Movies of the Gay / Transsexual community. And, from everything *I’d* heard about it, I was expecting something along the lines of the notorious Pink Flamingos or Rocky Horror Picture Show. Or maybe a mishmash of the two..
Man, was I ever misled!
If you’ve not seen it, and your experience has been anything like mine, you’ve been told all about the significance of “The Angry Inch” and you’re probably expecting a climactic, end-of-movie, expose shot where we are treated to a view of nasty, scarred, chopped-off dude-tube. Well – thank ALL that is good and wholesome – we are spared that. This movie is, in fact, quite compelling and interesting. Moving, even.
In the beginning, I was hesitant – turned-off, even. I wasn’t expecting a rock opera, and I was even less prepared for an awkward, washed-up artist rock opera. Much LESS was I expecting a molestation-life-story, washed-up, awkward.. You get the idea. I stuck through the opening scene, though, and am very glad I did.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is the story of a (wo)man who’s life just .. sucked. Left and right she’s made the wrong decision – trying to force herself into a mold that just never fit her. She’s fighting through the story to take revenge on the man who broke her heart, while unwittingly dragging everyone around her through the bowels of Hell.
I couldn’t really pity her, though. Because she’s making every decision that’s screwing her and everyone else over. She’s doing it all to herself. On the other hand, she always seems to fall right behind the eight ball at every turn. From the very beginning, even as a little boy, she seemed pre-destined to a life of disappointment and yearning. I loved her; I hated her. And in the end, in a sort of happy-yet-sad way, (s)he got what was coming to her. For better AND for worse.
Okay, I’ve just noticed that I’m jumping between Paranthetical and trans – gender references. This is intentional, because throughout the movie, Hedwig is facing gender and sexuality issues. To be blunt, Hedwig is not a man trying to be a woman, or a woman trapped in a man’s body. Hedwig is a person who was ultimately tricked into being castrated and neutered. I just don’t want to call hedwig “it”, because even though she’s a bitch, she did deserve better.
Anyway. Fantastic movie. Just enough emotion to open the eyes, and just enough comedy to keep the film from being depressing. Andrea Martin, by the way, did a phenomenal job of being lovable, sleazy and uplifting all at the same time. After the editors cuts, her part lost a LOT of it’s Mercutio quality, but she was still just a great counterpoint to the stress and drama of the movie.
As for the music. DON’T BE PUT OFF BY THE FIRST SONG!!!! The rest are pretty damn cool. They each tell a story while retaining a stand-alone quality. Unlike so many musicals, where each song is almost too script-referential to add to your .mp3 playlist, each tune in Hedwig is self-contained and has plenty of meaning and significance in its own right.
Who can enjoy this movie? Hmm. I guess anyone with an open mind, really. It’s a story – a drama, a romance, a comedy. You don’t have to be into the whole “Transgender Thing” to appreciate it, but if you’re turned off by anything that’s not straight, narrow, conservative and “normal” then, well, you’ll wanna go ahead and avoid this one.
It’s about one messed up soul and the fight for love – love of another and love of the self. And in the end, it’s found in one form or another.
That’s a great way to sum up this movie…
“In one form or another.”
Rating:
I’ll post the answer with next week’s question.
