#karen wright

the idea that The Children's Hour fails to be a queer film because [any variation of] 'only one is gay' 'they buried their gays' 'so lesbians should be ashamed?' are all bad faith understandings of the film and where it sits in film history. I say this with the assumption that the Hays Code of it all is preexisting knowledge; Martha's confession is not framed as a thing to be laughed at, nor to be feared. it's brutal, it's honest, it's allowed to play out in full, because we care about Martha. Because she is human. And we don't lose her POV after her confession. we care for this woman still. and when she dies, it is not to allow Karen to create a normal life, it is not a cheap way to 'fix' the issue of a queer character-- it's tragic, and Karen refuses the norm, she leaves the life that killed Martha behind as she walks without turning, bringing with her her friend's memory and nothing else. and I love this film with the decades of queer film(making) that came after it. I love this film knowing the system it was made within. that is one reason i value it so highly. someone who is more versed in the history of hollywood than me could surely draw a thread from the likes of Calamity Jane and Rebel Without A Cause to The Children's Hour to Desert Hearts to But I'm A Cheerleader