Chapter 10 Ideology
1. Tone
Camp sensibility is particularly relevant, though not unique to, gay culture. Heterosexual actresses such as Mae Weiss, Carol Burnett and Bette Midler have this dimension. It's not all gay either, as Eisenstein, Murnau, Jean Vigo and George Cook were all gay, but their films weren't "camp" at all. (Well, maybe Cook's "Women" count!) Almodóvar is a standout, with comedies like "Matador," "Women on the Brink," and "All About My Mother." Both are full of "camp" fun.
Camp movies like to use humorous mockery and often put some weird and bold characters in the film, such as the characters in the cult film "Rocky Horror Show". Camp likes to use over-artistic and artificial processing. , kitsch and flamboyant—like Carmen Miranda, who danced with a big basket of bananas in "Full House," also choreographed by Can's master Pasby Berkeley.
Camp also uses a lot of stage metaphors: role-playing, drama-loving performances, and life-like metaphors, such as Sonia Bragg's tortured heroine in Kiss of the Spider-Woman. Also, gaudy sets and costumes (of vulgar taste) were also of the interest of Camp, who exalted certain actresses as "nerd" icons, notably Joan Crawford and Ratner's gimmicky women movies, The original serious characters were made full of craftsmanship by them, and they were all victims of suffering but survived. The important thing is that in addition to enduring hardships, they all wear designer clothes and live in luxurious buildings.
2.
Like many gay artists, Almodóvar has a sharp insight into the complex psychology of women. In this Oscar-winning film, he brings out the many faces of women—passionate, tough, sexy, loyal, playful, vulnerable, intimate, resilient... all in all, fantastic. He also pays homage to two of America's great works - Joseph Machiewicz's "The Comet" and Tennessee Williams' "A Streetcar Named Desire," both of which are the most adored symbols of gay culture.
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