Dealing with something as touchy as "a homosexual artist as an outcast of society" I find people love or really hate the film. (Middle ground is almost completely absent) A lot of the hateful, spiteful reviews of 2001 are still very much alive and well as of 2015. People are afraid of anything that diverges from whatever they consider 'normal'. I don't understand why this type of character or film must be judged in such a ruthless, subjective way. In my lectures on romance languages at U of T, one of my prime concerns is to teach tolerance. Only in toleration and acceptance of who and what we are, will we ever create a better world!
Reynaldo Arenas proved to be a great man not because he was perfect but because he fought the noble fight endeavouring to persevere under trying circumstances. He is not a disgusting person, as one woman wrote, because of his sexual proclivities! That would be equivalent to calling a straight man disgusting because of his love of women! Bardem has played several true life characters, all beautifully executed by a powerful actor. The one thing they have in common, whether gay or straight, is that they want to live and die with a shred of dignity. My wife and I embrace this story of a man of letters who is nothing short of an inspiration for so many in our contemporary world. Bravo!
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