choosing the straight boy
by Douglas Messerli
Riccardo Angelucci and Sophia Ohler
(screenplay), Riccardo Angelucci (director) The Last Party / 2017 [20
minutes]
In the tradition of Pier Paolo Pasolini, Peter
de Rome, and Derek Jarman, British director Riccardo Angelucci tells a
wonderfully profane version of Christ’s (Victor Støle)
last supper, in this case described as his birthday party for which, after a
nightmarish dream of being sucked off under the table, Jesus may be late if he
doesn’t quickly submit to Jaime’s (Tom Haise) complete “makeover.” Jesus is
hardly in the mood given that his daddy has just texted him an odd message:
“See you tomorrow at home.”
Meanwhile, Judas (Adrian Quinton) accosts Jesus in his bathroom because
he believes he hasn’t been invited to the party, and then steals Christ’s
phone, finding all sorts of cute boys’ pictures on it. Juan (Junacho Gonzalez)
shows up without the cake.
But
Jaime gets the party started, finally, as the disciples enter one by one, as if
strutting down a fashion runway before the terribly conflicted and frightened
Jesus, who now realizes that it’s his last day on earth. In a garden meeting
with Judas, he pleads with him to just get it over with, but Judas insists
he’ll have to wait.
As
the disciples began to dance, Christ spots Matt (Stephen Walker) standing near
the wall and, focusing on his handsome face, begins to move toward him; when
they finally reach one another, Jesus admits what he’s been holding back: “I
love you.”
“I
love you too man.”
No,
Christ continues, obviously meaning something else by those words: “I’m gay.”
Suddenly, the music stops and all eyes turn upon Jesus as, what might
appear to us as the most obvious gathering of gay men one could possibly
imagine, seemingly register shock. Matt can’t accept it at all and runs off
from the party, the others running over to Jesus to offer their support: “It
doesn’t matter.” Jaime insists, “I will always have your back.”
Even that rather hilarious moment is quickly replaced by another, as the
desolate Christ rises and begins to move away. “Where are going?” they ask if
fear. “To the toilet,” he responds.
More perversely, Jaime wonders, “Do you want me to join you?”
“No,” responds Christ, “I need some time alone.”
Sitting outside the banquet hall, Christ looks quite dejected. Inside
they bring in the birthday cake (which Jaime has specially ordered), while
Maddy (Roxanne Douro) sings a song. Suddenly Jesus goes running off down the
street only to meet up with two street denizens who recognize and demean him
for being a “homosexual.” They beat him severely, Judas coming along at the
very moment to stop them.
Bending down to his dying friend, Judas claims he had nothing to do with
this. He was mad at Christ since he loved him so strongly but was not equally
loved back. But he would never have done such a thing. Christ puts his had to
Judas’ cheek and dies, Judas taking out his gun and shooting himself in the
head.
Quite attracted to the angelic kid, Christ already imagines a life of
love with the boy, but his father interrupts his dreams by telling him that
he’s going back down. Down? How far, Jesus inquires.
Just back to earth to teach everyone else about how to love, intones his
Heavenly Father. “Will Cupid go with me?
“Definitely——not,” declares God.
To
be surrounded by all those cute gay boys and yet to pick out the only straight
one is what happens all too often to gay boys like Christ their first time out.
Maybe he’ll get it right the second time around.
Los Angeles, July 28, 2023
Reprinted from World Cinema Review (July
2023).
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