How is collective identity formed through A Single Man by Tom Ford in relation to gay men?

Two things must be kept in mind when approaching A Single Man: the narrative is set in 1962 and the film is presented through a homosexual mans gaze These elements! which are evidenced immediatel" at the start of the film through titles and b" #eorge $the main character% kissing his dead lover! are also recurrent &nterestingl" about these elements together is that cinema in 1962 is generall" perceived $as pointed out in 'ito (ussos The Celluloid Closet% as representing ga" men through negative stereot"pes Therefore! m" first point is that it is possible that Tom )ord! b" situating the narrative in this particular frame! might be attempting to rewrite the texts for the contemporar" audience: to show us either that ga" men have alwa"s existed naturall" in societ" and thus change our historic perception of ga" people! or to re*establish the one previousl" set b" 196+s films ,eeping that in mind! there appears to be! in the wider structure of the film! an evolution in terms of the depth of the #eorge character -t the beginning! #eorge is shaping himself to fit the heterosexual norm: evidenced from the fact that he is almost literall" constructed $in the form of assembl" editing% as a stereot"picall" heterosexual man! in the sense that he acts in an oppositional manner to what is usuall" seen in stereot"pes of ga" men - structured and organised house! the rigorousness in dressing! him drinking scotch and beer! all elements which the character himself declares to be .put on/: 0it takes time in the morning for me to become #eorge 1otabl"! at this stage! the character is depressed and intends to kill himself through means of a gun The gun becomes a ke" component in the film2 its purpose isnt one of mere narrative appropriateness! but also one with staunch s"mbolic meaning: it is the signifier of the institutional state apparatus -lthusser describes as functioning to constitute the individual as a sub3ect to the ideolog" &n this case! the heterosexual ideolog" which #eorge is forced to abide to $as at the time homosexualit" wasnt accepted% is the cause of his impending death! thus confirming for the ga" spectator that he is re3ected b" the dominant ideolog" 4owever! the character moves awa" from the norm as the film progresses The depressed #eorge onl" sees glimpses of colour These moments of colour for #eorge $and for us% represent moments of fantas" and b" coupling them with a

consistent musical score the director creates an identifiable cue for the spectator The moments are often close*ups of ob3ectified parts! which can be conceived as ob3ects of desire for "outh $the little girl! the secretar"% and sex $the tennis pla"ers! the 5arlos character% which the main character associates with his past lover 6" positioning the ,enn" character in the frame naturall" $through mid*shots usuall"% and in colour! the spectator comes to associate him as an embodiment of #eorges desires &t follows that when #eorge and ,enn" swim together naked in the ocean! completel" natural! colour and music become permanent! signif"ing that there is a reversal and that the fantas" has become real Theres a sense of fulfilment! of literal and s"mbolic restoration of colour in #eorges life in sight of the bo" These elements force us to look past the finitude of the gun to a more prosperous future The gun is locked awa" and the sexual tension between the two characters is intensified b" a remarkabl" long two*shot! a signifier that "outhful fulfilment of sexualit" prevails over the constrained and institutionalised old norm )or the ga" spectators in the audience! showing these images indicates a change in the historical context ,enn" can be seen as the new generation which is more open to ga" people expressing themselves and finding love $as #eorge does%! therefore giving hope to the contemporar" ga" audience That the main character is killed off at the end can thus be seen differentl" from the manner 'ito (usso points out was recurrent in 196+s films: as a form of re*establishing the heterosexual normalit" &t can be seen as what #eorge points out as a moment 0of absolute clarit" which is 0exactl" as 7its8 meant to be: when the new! outgoing and free! fills in! allowing the old to fade awa" peacefull" because acceptance has been achieved #eorge dies of natural causes! he isnt murdered brutall" in order to pa" for his crimes The gun is locked awa" &n conclusion! the film neither represents ga" men negativel" or positivel"! but complexl"! as versatile and ambiguous figures able to experience and adapt to their socio*cultural circumstances and engage with each other in the form of familiar and changing relationships &t achieves (ichard 9"ers aspiration! empowering the ga" spectator to live a full and complete life