sunheadbowed Fassbinder's swan song takes everything to the extreme. So much so that critics have never quite been able to stomach it.'Querelle' is such a stunning work of art on several levels: the Navy dockyard set with its near-sepia hazy opiate yellows and browns (contrasting against the colour of the sailors' outfits, the brilliant whiteness a parody of purity), evoking both sickness and a perpetual dusk of hard-ons, repression, indulgence and violence; the cinematography, some of the best in any Fassbinder film, capturing the actors' reflections in mirrors as the camera coolly observes the lovers they talk to (or 'at') -- lust in an impenetrable frame in which no one can be satisfied and everyone has their own agenda; the incredible erotic sexual ambiance that manages to be both appealing and threatening; the acting (Davis clearly finds this unsubtle role liberating after working in the very gay yet very homophobic world of Hollywood). I find more to enjoy in this film every time I view it.The critics got it wrong here; perhaps a little too much sodomy for their bourgeois tastes? Let's see.. it has Brad Davis shirtless and sweaty in almost every scene (the one in which he's covered in oil and grease has to be the money shot); it features Jeanne Moreau being dramatic and elegant and making statements about men's 'pricks' (in a role that seemingly couldn't have been anyone else's); it's an adaptation of a work by the brilliant Jean Genet; it's directed by the incredible Fassbinder; it has lines like, 'my cock came out covered in s--t, if you want to know' -- how could all of this equal a bad film? Not in my book.The film ends with an ode to Genet: 'Apart from his books we know nothing about him. Not even the date of his death, which he supposes to be near.' Fassbinder would be dead before the film was released, four years before Genet. And besides his films, we know nothing about Fassbinder.'Querelle' is Fassbinder's final 'f--k you.'

Shane James Bordas A very difficult film, for many reasons. As a source novel, Genet's 'Querelle' presents a challenge for any adaptation but as this is R.W. Fassbinder's final work, one is compelled to ignore one's initial (poor) response and dig for signs of the vision seen elsewhere in his cannon.This is a film that unrelentingly refuses to let the viewer in. Narrative is piled upon narrative which is further punctuated by Brechtian title cards containing quotes from a variety of sources (including, of course, Genet's novel). The high stylisation of setting and performance is deliberately off putting and distancing. In this world of almost exclusive homosexual desire, women are severely marginalised which leaves the great Jeanne Moreau with little to do other than warble a rather ridiculous (and ridiculously catchy) pop ditty that uses Oscar Wilde's 'Ballad of Reading Gaol' for lyrics. Here, choice of sexuality is symbolic for how one stands in opposition to social rules and true fulfilment and depth of being comes only in humility and, ultimately, humiliation. Of course, much of this overtly gay posturing can be seen simply as high camp and add an undeniable veneer of silliness which is, quite frankly, hard to shake off.However, this is a deeply serious film. Maybe Fassbinder was simply looking to upset as many people as he could and the whole point is to alienate the viewer as much as possible, either into anger or submission. It's hard to fully know what to make of 'Querelle' but either way, although stunningly lit, it has little of the swagger or movement of his best work and comes across as rather staid and inert. But, again, possibly that's the point. Confusion and denial as to individual identity leads to frustration and random acts of violence (if only to oneself) and self imploding inertia. It's hard to criticise a film that is deliberate about these points but, ultimately, it is equally hard to like and finding a place for it is no easy task. Possibly a work to admire and provoke rather than one to enjoy.

AndrewPhillips I'm not sure what Rainer Werner Fassbinder was trying to do with this film. Now I'm not a true art house connoisseur, in fact I have seen very few films in this genre so maybe I am not best paced to review it but I will give it a shot.Brad Davis gives a charismatic performance in the lead role, he manages to look beautiful, innocent and down right grubby at the same time, so well done to him, not easy to do. The rest of the cast do a good job, I think the trouble is you don't like any of them including Querelle. Actually that's not quite true I did warm to Franco Nero's captain because of his inability to communicate his feelings and desires making him the most sympathetic caricature.The brutal scenes are all linked to sex and this is the overriding feeling I was left with. Now I know there are many people out there, both gay and straight, who associate sex with violence, but not being one of them I didn't really enjoy it.That this is a stylised and unique piece of cinema you cannot question, enjoyable it is not, but it is interesting and powerful. If it can provoke a reaction in you, whether that be positive or negative then at least you have experienced something that's made you think, and that does not happen very often in cinema. Oh yes, it is also very orange.

futurehaus 10 for Camp Sensibility. You normal folks may rate it closer to zero.Querelle is Super Camp. It puts John Waters' "Female Trouble" to shame. Not even a drag-dripping Almodovar flick can evoke such gaiety. This film is audacious in its "seriousness" and demands you do the opposite. Now, other users have called it Village People-ish, amateurish, High Schooly, etc. but those are understatements. This film is funnier with each viewing. I have most of it committed to memory because my roommate and I in college used to watch it over and over (alternating with Pee Wee's Big Adventure and Law of Desire). I truly love the recycled actors/costumes/sets, the Tea Room Queen On High voice overs, the summer stock saturation of set lighting. And that fat queen buzzing around Jean Moreau is worth hitting rewind for. It's just one big costume party, and you're invited. I think if Fassbinder had tried to make it funny he'd have come short of the laughs that are there now. And, frankly, which of us gays couldn't enjoy 90 minutes of hunky Brad Davis in his silly sailor getup…dialogue be damned? You must love this unintentional satire. You'll be quoting it's lame lines for life."Each man kills the thing he loves…da de dum, da da de dum…" (Did Madame forget the lyrics again? I heard that happened to Peggy Lee in her linebacker years."I look like her." (Little Gay Roger coming onto Gil, who likes Roger's sister) "Is there anybody else who wants to...me? PLEASE!" "When Madame Lysiane found herself before Querelle, her gaze went to his fly in spite of herself." (It goes down from there) "You? You're just a woman." (Followed much later by, "Look at him! Big Nono, the best stallion that ever existed!") The jilted Lysiane huffs, "You mah ememy!" PLEASE watch this film expecting nothing...and you will gain everything. "Da De Dumb, Da Da De Dumb."