Funeral Parade of Roses
I found this movie on the internet archive. I had never heard of it before. However, I have seen the poster on Letterboxd, but I didn't know that until after watching it. Apparently it's loosely based on the story of Oedipus Rex. I am unfamiliar with that story. Upon looking it up, I failed to see too much of a connection to the story of the film, but more importantly, I failed to understand why that story felt relevant to the subject matter being portrayed. I understand that just because it's a trans/queer film, it doesn't have to have a happy ending, but so many parts felt as though it was vehemently against (for want of a better term) that lifestyle. Eddie's transition was brought on by grief, but her transness was not. The trauma and guilt around her mother was understandable, but the double homicide?? Way to demonise a vulnerable and sympathetic character. And the twist about her father? And the suicide? I mean... with all this talk of masking from earlier on, it almost feels like they're saying she's not actually trans, but rather a mentally disturbed boy who deserves death. And yet we just spent an hour and forty minutes with her, and I thought she was so great, and I saw myself, and I felt that she was portrayed through the filmmaking (as opposed to the story) as a genuinely nice person. It's a shame, because I loved how arty it was and I loved how it looked and I really enjoyed it despite those parts, which, unfortunately, in hindsight, seem like the whole point of the movie.
