Have you seen the British Film Institute's 30 Best LBGT Films of All Time yet? The list was compiled in honor of the 30th London LGBT Film Festival and features a delightfully wide range of global cinema, classics, and new favorites.
There have been complaints of recent films performing so high on an All Time list, but it's important to remember that LGBT film has become increasingly more common and less niche in recent years - such a list is naturally going to be drawing from a larger pool of candidates from the past 20 years.
The BFI's number one is the most recent and we might have had a few things to say about it here at The Film Experience. Yes, the beloved Carol took the top spot. Say what you will about this months-old film winning an All Time title, at least our beloved has finally won something! It's also exciting that they awarded a film directed by an LGBT person, as our stories are historically rewarded when told by straight persons.
Following right behind is another gay romance: Andrew Haigh's Weekend. The film is recent to the world, but an even more recent release in Italy where it is just now opening five years after its debut. It even drew unusually large crowds, too - despite pushback from the Vatican.
The Full List after the jump...
Gus Van Sant's classic "My Own Private Idaho"
- Carol (2015)
- Weekend (2011)
- Happy Together (1997)
- Brokeback Mountain (2005)
- Paris is Burning (1990)
- Tropical Malady (2004)
- My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
- Todo Sobre Mi Madre (1999)
- Un Chant d'Amour (1950)
- My Own Private Idaho (1991)
- TIE = Tangerine (2015), The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), and Blue is the Warmest Color (2013)
- TIE = Madchen in Uniform (1931), Show Me Love (1998), Orlando (1992), and Victim (1961)
- Je, Tu, Il, Elle (1974)
- Looking for Langston (1989)
- TIE = Beau Travail (1999) and Beautiful Thing (1996)
- TIE = Stranger by the Lake (2013), Teorama (1968), The Watermelon Woman (1996), Pariah (2011), and Mulholland Drive (2001)
- TIE = Portrait of Jason (1967), Dog Day Afternoon (1975), Death in Venice (1971), Pink Narcissus (1971), Sunday Bloody Sunday (1971), Tomboy (2011),and Funeral Parade of Roses (1969)
The ties make the list somewhat unwiedy (and also make the list more than 30 films), but there is a refreshing amount of variety with multiple countries, features and shorts, and documentaries. It's rewarding to see Paris is Burning so highly ranked, considering that documentaries don't get enough credit for their long history of telling LGBT stories. In fact, the most glaring omission in my estimation is another legendary documentary: The Times of Harvey Milk (1984).
What LGBT film do you think should be on the list?