a short film by Jake Yuzna 2004 | 4 mins | US ›› Between the Boys the story of an unconventional relationship Okay, let's cut to the core, given there are a number of subjects that to this day Hollywood notably stays well clear of, namely certain behaviour, often sexual, that society considers socially unacceptable. That said, it almost goes without saying that such themes have often been tackled head-on by indie cinema. Only in doing so, there are equally a number of works in which there is no way you can discuss the central theme involved, without giving away the twist in the tale. Well this is one such cinematic combination, so with a spoiler warning firmly in place, prepare to meet the boys. For Eric and Paul are clearly in love with each other, sharing not only the same bed but the same shower, rolling around on top of each other, whether on a firm mattress or on the snow covered ground outside of the house in the midst of a cool winter morning. Only the house does not belong to them; rather it belongs to their mother. Welcome then, to the social taboo that is incest! Only whilst the James Burkhammer II short Starcrossed chose to depict the final act of such intimate love, this work from writer and director Jake Yuzna deliberately set out to draw you into a tender relationship between two young men, one that with few words openly expresses genuine homosexual love and affection, before abruptly removing you from your comfort zone by revealing the true nature of their relationship seconds before the end credits roll. The result is a four-minute shocker, detailing as it does a sexual act that in most parts of the civilised world remains subject to criminal prosecution. Yet in closing his work at the point in which we discover the raw reality of the relationship between the boys, Yuzna has opened a Pandora's box. It is one in which he neither condemns nor approves of what he finds inside, preferring to leave the viewer as judge and jury, hereby forced to reflect upon a scenario that less than three minutes before was nothing more than a touching tale of homosexual love. Clearly shot on a limited budget with the minimal of cast and crew, this 'short, short' nevertheless remains a simple, but highly effective way by which to detail an unconventional relationship. Yet it is a subject that cannot help but provoke strong reactions. For whilst many a film has focused on the close bond between two brothers, here brotherly love is defined in terms of an all-the-more sexual nature, being the love that to this day still dare not speak its name. Challenging filmmaking to put it mildly.   screened as part of the 20th London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, 2006. starring: Rick Stahlmann, Adam Vanderveen and Thalia Drori. Copyright 2010 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #133 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹