Mario Galaretta | Home Early / 2006

absolute terror

by Douglas Messerli

 

Mario Galaretta (screenwriter and director) Home Early / 2006 [6 minutes]

 

A man (Javier Galitó-Cava) in his late-20s is busy packing up his clothes when his lover (Jacob Tuten) arrives home, as we soon discover, earlier than usual. The first man (who I shall call the “lover”) has packed up an entire suitcase and sits it next to him on the couch where he almost passively awaits his friend, dressed in suit and tie as if he works in an office (hereafter referred as the businessman)

     The businessman gets a scotch and sits next to his lover, asking about his cheek, which the nervous friend reports doesn’t hurt anymore. It’s healing the businessman insists: “You are such a whiner.”

     And almost immediately, as he attempts to make love to his friend, finally laying down and forcing his arm and hands into place, we recognize that not only is the lover in total control of the other’s life but has probably been abusing him for some time, particularly since almost any quick

movement of the intense businessman results in a flinch or bodily reaction from his erstwhile lover.

     We see the potential for violence even in this short film when the lover takes out a cigarette and his businessman partner pulls it out of his mouth, his hand coiling up instantly into a fist before he releases his anger by settling back down on the couch, this time demanding he place both of his lover’s hands upon his body.

     The phone rings, and the businessman boyfriend demands that he will answer, which he does suddenly in an entirely different voice, that of a sweet and polite companion explaining that his friend is not available at the moment, that he cannot answer the phone.

      By the time he returns to the room, there is no one any longer on the couch, his lover obviously having picked up his suitcase and run, escaping from what we recognize is a relationship of deep abuse which has finally resulted in his lover’s absolute terror.

      Hardly any real communication between the two men has taken place, but we recognize that were there any attempt at important communication it would surely end in anger, perhaps a slug, an attack on the other to even an attempt express a viewpoint. Although the man’s lover has left, we still fear for him, hoping that he has found somewhere to go, a place to escape any retribution that is sure to follow.

      This little film reminds us that many homosexual men also suffer domestic abuse.

 

Los Angeles, May 31, 2024

Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog (May 2024).