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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bleak depiction of homosexual alienation, August 12, 1999
By A Customer
L'Homme Blesse is a stark portrayal of the homosexual underground in the dark, midnight streets of Paris. The film focuses on Henri (played by Jean-Hughes Anglade, who gives a courageous and intense performance), a friendless young man whose difficulty in accepting his own homosexuality further alienates him from a world where he has been set adrift. Alone, self-exiled from his family, Henri turns to the midnight Parisian streets, where he meets Jean, (Vittorio Mezzogiorno) a tough pimp and thief. Jean initially manipulates Henri's confused vulnerability, but later, secretly drawn to him, embraces him into his clique of fellow theieves and male prostitutes. Henri proves himself unfit for this stark lifestyle, and his desperation and alienation increase to even more unstable levels. A client of Jean's, Brosmans, a doctor (played by Roland Berlin), tries to help Henri but only leads him into further insecurity and desperation. This is a difficult film to watch at times, as Henri is one of the most excessively alienated characters ever filmed. Its realistic depiction of the seedy Parisian homosexual underworld brings to mind such other gritty French street films like "Police." Their marginalized world is the antithesis to that of the bourgeoise, and by pursuing their sexuality in forsaken places like metro stations and bathrooms their sexual orientation has become criminal. The film's conclusion is a startling denouement to a life hurtling wildly out of control.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"What I Did For Love", June 19, 2003
"L'Homme Blesse" is a deeply affecting portrait of human loneliness and alienation that transcends its grittily realistic depiction of the French gay underworld of street hustlers and sex in dark corners. Its themes of isolation, unrequited love and the search for meaningful connections are universal, and are displayed in this film with enormous sensitivity and power. The main character's struggle is one that most of us have encountered; that being, loving someone who is clearly not right for us, who is trouble with a capital T, and who will eventually lead us down a dark and destructive path. But the character's gnawing hunger for affection and belonging blinds him to those simple truths. In one scene, the character, who turns street hustler and thief to please the one he loves, offers money to another man just for a kiss. His loneliness is tangible and pervades and drives the action of the film. The ending of this film is boldly powerful and is consistent with the self-destructive road that the character is forced to take to fulfill his aching need for love. It demonstrates the very fine line between love and hate, between the need and the anger, between hope and hopelessness, and between self esteem and self loathing. Although unremittingly bleak and sad, the film is brilliantly directed and acted. It is a film that is both moving and harrowing.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
THE PAIN OF REPRESSED DESIRE, May 23, 2000
Whatever else this film may be, it is basically the story of love denied and the incredible pain that denial causes. Heart-wrenching to watch. The entire cast provides incredible performances, especially Anglade as the young, heart-broken Henri. The film really transcends it's homoerotic theme to the larger theme of the horrible suffering of being unable to connect with someone you are in love with, a theme seen throughout the film and not just in Henri's tortured life. Excellent film...painful to watch...
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