À toute vitesse (1998)

This French drama explores the complex relationships between gay and straight youths in multi-racial France. During the prologue, shy Algerian teen Samir (Mezziane Bardadi) and his best friend Rick (Romain Auger) rub bloody fingers together as they make a blood-brother's pact. Suddenly a shot rings out and Rick dies of a bullet wound in Samir's arms. Gang leader Jimmy (Stéphane Rideau) is best friends with sensitive writer Quentin (Pascal Cervo), who wants to turn his back on his friends to pursue his career. He won a writers contest and signed a contract to publish his first book, a chronicle of his friends' activities. Now he pays more attention to his career as an author than to his friends or his girlfriend Julie (Élodie Bouchez). Meanwhile university student Julie is becoming attracted to Jimmy, while bereaved Samir is in love with Quentin, who meets him at a party one night. Interested in finding more material for a second book, he gets Samir to tell about his relationship with the late Rick. It's difficult, but Samir complies even as he finds himself increasingly attracted to Quentin. When Quentin rejects Samir, it encourages him to reject his own past and enter into an intense relationship with Jimmy and Julie that will end up changing his life.

Out" magazine wrote that "À toute vitesse" "plays like a modern "Rebel without a Cause'" or "Splendor in the Grass", but this movie never really gets out of first gear. Although it was an official selection at the Cannes Film Festival, it is somewhat of a disappointment. Paying tribute to the rush associated with reaching the age of 20, this fast-paced sexually charged drama with the metaphor of speed to life lumbers a bit in its symbolism. It has its moments, but its aim seems to meander a bit, leaving a few loose ends. Cinematically the film is strong, especially as a debut film for its director, Gaël Morel--who also wrote the screenplay with Catherine Corsini. The English title is "Full Speed".

Taxi zum Klo (1981)

Frank Ripploh (Frank Ripploh) is a bearded and shaggy-haired teacher. He's gay with a very active sex life and an interest in making films. Frank keeps his personal life and teaching separate, but he sometimes corrects student papers in public toilets as he waits to score. He cruises in porn cinemas, where one night he meets Bernd (Bernd Broaderup), a theater manager. They share a romantic relationship, but Frank's restlessness and need to cruise get in the way. Though he seems to enjoy Bernd's plans for retirement, he also wonders if he'll ever lose the urge to hunt the streets after dark, and have enough money after retirement to hire young boy prostitutes. While Bernd is attentive and caring, Frank gets bored and continues his promiscuous lifestyle. An explicit sex scene occurs mid-film and upsets Frank and Bernd's domestic bliss. How long will Bernd and Frank tolerate each other's habits, and for how long can Frank keep his sexual orientation out of the classroom? Ripploh's hairy bum crack plays a major role in proceedings--it's the first object we see in the movie, and he spends most of his home time in a T-shirt only, bending over and doing calisthenics with no underwear. One scene has Frank at the doctor for an anal wart examination, and nothing is left to the imagination. A lot of old black and white German gay porn is interspersed throughout. Things come to a head during Berlin's annual Queen's Ball and the morning after. The film ends with a pleasant party scene and everyone seems fairly happy with the free atmosphere and gay sex.

Director Frank Ripploh takes an autobiographical approach to filmmaking with this comic exploration of gay life in Berlin in which he plays himself. He also wrote the script. This edgy, intelligent movie has a high status in the history of gay-themed cinema. The Village Voice called it, "The first masterpiece about the mainstream of male gay life". Wayne Koestenbaum called it one of the greatest gay-themed films ever, and said it still blows his mind with its "happy explicitness, its cheerful liberatory politics". In German with English sub-titles, the English title is "Taxi to the John".