L'Homme bless

Drawn into the circuit of men cruising for sex in and around a train station, restless adolescent Henri begins a frenzied pursuit of a dangerously charismatic older man, with sometimes violent and ultimately tragic consequences. Premiering at Cannes in 1983, Patrice Chreaus LHomme bless (The Wounded Man) was one of Frances first major cinematic releases to depict homosexual desire and queer sexual cultures in an unapologetic and complex way. It is a film that continues to resonate to this day. LHomme bless generated controversy with its dark tone and its treatment of an adolescents obsessive homoerotic desire, as well as Chreaus denial that the film is about homosexuality. Robert Payne guides readers through the powerfully erotic underworld of LHomme bless, where the film sidesteps fixed identities and draws viewers into the ambiguous spaces of queer desire, and argues that its visual composition depicts queer ways of seeing and generates queer ways of feeling. A look into the productions historical and cultural backdrop uncovers a behind-the-scenes story of power and desire between its two screenwriters and the presence of HIV/AIDS hovering ominously and inevitably off screen. Original interviews trace the lives of LHomme bless across three continents and three decades and measure the films enduring value beyond its prestigious debut. Payne cements LHomme bless in its rightful place within queer cultural history and introduces the film to a new generation of viewers.