Review: Torch Song Trilogy
What do we know of love?
The first thing that comes to
mind is need. We need to love and
to be loved. In Torch Song Tril
ogy, the lead character’s quest to
fulfil that need is the basis of the
story. Arnold Beckoff, a gay fe
male impersonator, is shy and
lonely. In the movie, he meets ,
loves and loses two lovers. He
also has to struggle in his rela
tionship with his mother who has
never quite accepted his homo
sexuality. Tempered by his
struggles, Arnold eventually
grows into a strong and loving
parent of a sixteen-year-old who
is also gay.
Torch Song Trilogy is
based on a collection of 3 one-act
plays by Harvey Fierstein. His
Broadway production of the tril
ogy won a Tony Award and in the
film we can see why. It is a hu
morous and poignant story, full of
touching vignettes and moments
of black humor. Fierstein also
takes on the role of Arnold and
does some marvellous renditions
of torch songs. Ilis two lovers are
played by Brian Kerwin and
Matthew Broderick. Anne Ban
croft rounds off the main cast as
Arnold’s tetchy and strong-willed
mother.
The story opens as Mrs.
Beckoff rushes all over the house
shouting for him to come out. As
she yanks open the closet door,
the audience is right behind her
when she discovers young Arnold
dressed up in pearls and lipstick
with a knowing smile on his face.
In the next scene, the grown-up
Arnold is cleaning ofT make-up in
his dressing room. As he creams
his face, he explains to us about
his past adventures in love. Each
time he asks himself just how
much he loved the man. “Not
enough,” he signs with his hands
(one of his ex-lovers was deaf).
After work, his colleague pushes
him into a gay bar called The
Stud. Arnold balks at the infa
mous “backroom" because he
wants love not sexual gratifica
tion. Holding on tightly to his
drink, he looks around until he
catches the eye of a slim, blond
man. Immediately, they look
away from each other. A skittish
exchange of glances later, Ed, a
teacher played by Kerwin, takes
Arnold home. The shy Arnold
tries to make sure that their af
fair is perfect. In one scene, he
wakes up early and stealthily
shuts ofTEd’s alarm. A quiet dash
to the bathroom to complete his
toilette and he is back in bed.
Then he switches the alarm back
on and pretends to be asleep so
that Ed can kiss him awake!
Their affair continues
without strings on either side for
two years. On the night of his
birthday, Arnold discovers why
Ed is afraid of commitment. Ed
has not come to terms with being
gay and so thinks of himself as
bisexual. He tells Arnold that he
is in love with Laurel. Arnold
leaves after a big scene. Some
time after, Ed visits Arnold at the
club for the first time. As his col
leagues quickly cleared out of the
dressing-room, Arnold frantic
ally scrubs his make-up off. Ed
has been having nightmares and
needs to talk. He is painfully
eager to drive Arnold home. Ar
nold looks out at the audience
and asks us if he should rebuff
Ed, but we know he will accept.
In the next part of the tril
ogy, Arnold is being hackled by
some drunk young customers
while doing a number. Finally, a
fan in the next table grabs one of
the drunk guys and offers to cas
trate him. The guy passes out and
Arnold has to take him home. The
next morning, Alan (a successful
model played by Broderick) hur
riedly leaves after staring at
Arnold’s bunny rabbit crockery.
Arnold hides in the bathroom
until he is gone. But soon Alan is
appearing in unexpected places
in his pursuit of Arnold who does
not want to get hurt again. They
fall in love and Arnold gives in
with two stipulations: “First, I
want children. And if there is
going to be a pretty face around,
it’s going to be mine. “ (Alan is a
successful model.) One night,
Alan brings out some adoption
papers and turns on the radio. As
the song started, the DJ an
nounces, “With all my love to
Arnold, from Ellen...” “A/an, you
....! “ yells Alan.
The phone rings and
brings an curious invitation.
Laurel, who is now married to Ed,
wants Arnold and Alan to visit
their farm. Alan overrides Arnold
and accepts. He wants to see the
competition. At the farmhouse,
dinner is a touchy ordeal. The
next day, the two couples are
picnicking outside when Laurel
suggests that Ed show Arnold the
new-fangled machine they have
in the barn. Arnold sends Alan off
saying that he would “compare
notes” with Laurel! In the bam,
Alan lets himself be seduced by
Ed. It turns out that Laurel had
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