MovieChat Forums > Taps (1981) Discussion > Power Struggle or...

Power Struggle or...

posted 15 years ago by TrueChildOfTheCorn
5 replies | jump to latest

...Gay love triangle?
I love this film and after numerous viewings I've started to notice (this might just be me) that there are several moments in the film that point towards a gay love triangle between Brian, Alex and David.

Here are those moments:

1-David invites Brian over to play a game, but not Alex, Alex points this out and David flips him off (now this could just be because David likes Brian (as a friend) and not Alex.

2-When they're all in the bathroom, Brian takes a goog long intense stare at Alex (who's wet and only wearing a towel).

3-When Brian goes to talk to the parents David says to Alex "When all this is over me and you are going to go round and round" I know this was supposed to be a threat/invitation for a fight, but the way it came out (tone of voice/facial expression) made it seem kind of gay.

4-At the begining of the film Brian is best-friends with Alex, but as the film goes on the dynamic changes so Brian is closer to David, Alex seems to get really jealous whenever Brian goes off/listens to David rather than him.

5-At the end of the film when Alex finally manages to convince Brian to give up the school, David goes insane (this might not be due to Brian choosing Alex over him, he's probably just mentally unstable).

So there are the moments that make me wonder if it's more than a power struggle. Maybey I'm reading to much into it, but does anyone else see this?

[–] oldewill 15 years ago

could be....hey just havin a chat in the shower seems kinda gay...or mabey you talk alot so you don't get hard??????

[–] warehousega 15 years ago

You seem very desparate to watch such an incredible piece of film by so many young "will be" Academy award winners and pull your own sick little "GAY TRIANGLE" out of it WOW.......Just go watch Boogie Nights again.

[–] TrueChildOfTheCorn 15 years ago

Ouch! So harsh, oh and

'pull your own sick little "GAY TRIANGLE" out of it'

What do you have against gay subtext in films?

Next you'll be saying Kirk and Spock were 'just friends'

Farnsworth: "Who are those horrible orange creatures over there?"
Glurmo: "Why those are the Grunka Lunkas. They work here in the Slurm factory."
Farnsworth: "Tell them I hate them!"

[–] wannabedj1075 15 years ago

Power struggle and there's no argument. It amazes me the things people consider gay. Trying to pervert a movie in such a way will never gain you more acceptance

[–] dysperdis 15 years ago

I noticed a bit of tension myself, but I chalked it up to Tom Cruise-- it's like he has the Midas touch, except instead of gold, everything he touches turns to gay subtext. Of course, in sex segregated settings, there's a tendency for individuals who otherwise identify as entirely heterosexual to engage in same-sex relationships; military academies are no different, and perhaps there is a discreet nod to that in the interactions of these three.

And to those bitching and whining about how "perverse" or whatnot it is to suggest that a movie about an all-male military academy might contain gay subtext: Bite me. Sexuality-- with all it's variations-- is a part of human nature, and refusing to acknowledge these variations will not make them go away, nor will it validate your claims about the moral superiority of heterosexuality.