instead of exploring the complex character of J Edgar , his relations with diff presidents, his with other agencies etc , this movie spent more time on the rumor that he was gay. there is no substantial evidence to suggest that.
only the most radical news papers spread that news of him being gay.
i think the movie lost a great chance.
"only the most radical news papers spread that news of him being gay."
Do you think that any newspaper other than the radical ones would have dared to even suggest that Hoover could have been anything other than 100% heterosexual?
Hoover was gay he and his coworker LIVED together for many years they were basically a married couple. When Hoover died he left his entire estate to Tolson! Come on people read between the lines Hoover and Tolson were gay lovers it is obvious!
shareinstead of exploring the complex character of J Edgar , his relations with diff presidents, his with other agencies etc , this movie spent more time on the rumor that he was gay.It's not about him being gay. The movie never, at any point, either explicitly or implicitly, says he is gay. The film is a character study about a man who's never been taught how to love and how his repressed emotions emerge in ugly, unpleasant ways in his job. Can't you see the connection the film makes between Edgar's private feelings and the way he behaves professionally? I thought it was a really unusual, ambitious and fascinating way to approach a figure like Hoover. And sure Eastwood could have gone through the motions and delivered a simple 'Greatest Hits' summary of Hoover's career that burnishes the myth, or delivered an Oliver Stone-style rant about an evil Republican, but he rightly chose to focus instead on this very human theme of unrequited love and what that can do to a person.
I recommend you watch the film, or at least watch it carefully, before passing a sermon to another poster.
The film's Hoover is clrearly in love with Colson, and clearly not interested in any women. He outright says, at one point, that he loves Colson.
So, *beep* you very much for denying it. What's the problem with him being gay in this movie?
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The film's Hoover is clrearly in love with Colson, and clearly not interested in any women. He outright says, at one point, that he loves Colson.First, the name of Hoover's friend is Tolson, not Colson and second, close friends say to each other 'I love you' all the time but that doesn't actually mean that they're, y'know, gay. Think about it.
So, *beep* you very much for denying it. What's the problem with him being gay in this movie?
Exactly.
Not everything that a human being does or says is BECAUSE he os she is gay or straight. There are many more aspects in everybody's personality which determine behaviour. It isn't just sexuality.
I think they did a very good job with Hoover's personality.
The film clearly and unambiguously depicts J. Edgar Hoover as gay. I'm not sure why you'd want to insist otherwise. Yes, the film is about a lot of other things, but what it says about Hoover's sexuality did not strike me as open to a terribly varied interpretation.
shareThe film clearly and unambiguously depicts J. Edgar Hoover as gay.No, it doesn't do anything of the kind. Watch the film again and this time try paying attention. Were Tolson and Hoover good friends? Yes, of course. Was Tolson gay? On the interpretation offered here, certainly. But the portrayal of J Edgar deliberately refrains from any such portrayal. How can you claim to have watched the film and not come away having grasped that the point of the story is not that Hoover was gay but that he was incapable of love?
If you don't think the movie clearly depicted J. Edgar Hoover as a homosexual then I have to question whether you were watching the same movie. The writers of this film did everything they could to portray him as a homosexual apart from showing the actual sex and open conversations about his sexuality. When the movie shows them holding hands, kissing, acting strangely around women, acting as a couple and doing everything together, as well as Tolson flipping his sh!t and threatening to leave him forever when Hoover says he wants to find a woman, it really can't be made any clearer without showing explicit sex or dialogue. Not to mention the dozens of gay looks they give each other in the film.
Considering Hoovers suppressed emotions and very private personal life, as well as the time period the film is set in, it is no mystery why the writers didn't include conversations with Hoover openly talking about his sexuality. Though, if I recall correctly, Hoover did say something in the movie along the lines of Tolson being the love of his life.
Whether the real J. Edgar Hoover was a homosexual or not is irrelevant, the film clearly and unquestionably depicts him as being gay.
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
Oh dear, someone seems to be stuck in the time period of the film itself...
share[deleted]
the movie wanted to explore Hoover's character more than events.
true or not, gay rumors(which are obviously true) has substance and it had the potential to be explored and dramatize.
in the film he has conversation with his mother about gay and dead son.
after her death he wears her dress and at one point he says "be strong".
after the fight with Tolson he says quietly "i love you".
they held hands.
and no guy says i love you to someone who is not his lover, ever. i wouldnt say i love you to my brother...
"and no guy says i love you to someone who is not his lover, ever. i wouldnt say i love you to my brother..."
I'm not arguing against the notion that Hoover was gay, but that last statement isn't necessarily true. He did say it in a romantic sense, but that doesn't mean it isn't also used in a non-romantic context. Maybe you personally would never say "love ya bro" or something of that nature to a brother or a longtime best friend because of your own culture and how you were raised, but that doesn't necessarily make it a gay thing to say.
It can vary depending on the culture, but I've heard straight people (usually brothers or childhood best friends) say it before in a completely non-sexual and non-romantic context. There are also cultures in which there is nothing gay about a male pecking another male on the cheek. Even though if you would see such a thing you might assume they are gay, it's not always the case.
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
Hoover and Tolson were gay and loved each other. A thousand photographs make that clear. Eastwood's movie shows Hoover wasn't an angel and wasn't a demon. Much of what he accomplished helped the country he loved.
The marriage type relationship of Hoover and Tolson was tactfully recognised, even honoured, when Tolson was given the American flag during J Edgar's funeral.
Some good photos here:
http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/1800749-my-opinion-on-hoover-and-tolson
and here:
http://www.corbisimages.com/Search#p=1&q=Clyde+A.+Tolson&ac=1
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