a short film by Stewart Main 1996 | 15 mins | New Zealand ›› Twilight of the Gods two men of warring factions, become one. Not to be confused with the Inspector Morse murder mystery of the same title, or the Brendan Fraser / Faye Dunaway gay themed feature The Twilight of the Golds for that matter, this striking short from writer and director Stewart Main of 50 Ways of Saying Fabulous fame offers a frank, if occasionally explicit look at love in times of conflict. As a Maori hunter is set to learn when upon his return to his native village, he discovers his tribesmen as dead as the corpses of the European soldiers that lie around him, that is apart from the bloody body of one. Seeking violent revenge, he finds himself instead compelled to tend to the wounds of his enemy, by way of his guardian spirit guide. Only as the look of lust from the soldier breaks down this Maori warrior's heterosexual façade, is he really the only one out to set a trap? Crafting a work that is as homoerotic, as it is brutal, Main wondrously breaks free from the confines of your standard gay cinema to showcase how two men of differing cultures, languages and warring factions, become one. Beautifully detailing Maori traditions, whilst equally questioning just how well should you trust your enemy, this is title that deserves to be more widely known, even if the b/w print I saw looked like a third generation copy, causing it to resemble more a film from the gay cinema underground movement of the 1950s, than a work produced in the 1990s. It does however mark an early appearance by noted New Zealand actor Marton Csokas, in what is undoubtedly his most revealing performance. Gay Visibility - overt.  Nudity - the full monty.  Overall - file under ... 3+ stars.    starring: Greg Mayor as Toa and Marton Csokas as the Soldier. dedicated to Rangi Chadwick. Copyright 2012 David Hall - www.gaycelluloid.com. archive reference #494 ›› previous page | back to top | print me ‹‹