Pricilla Queen of the Desert

Pricilla Queen of the Desert

Stephan Elliot

 

What a film! What a show! Pricilla is a film that is one of a kind.

 

Visually the film allows the flamboyant world onto the screen. It is the combination of the brave territory and visuals, which supports the hilarious nature of it. I have never seen homosexuals displayed so well and so nicely on screen. We see them as people enjoying life, dancing, and performing

 

The only thing I have seen remotely like it is Mike Nichols’ modern The Birdcage that, allows us to peak inside the lives of homosexuals in Miami. Still this film has its own dry Australian flair, which could never be seen in that film.  

 

The thing I love most of all about this film is it is simply fun to watch. The flamboyant characters, costumes and situations of three drag queens travelling through the Australian desert is absolutely hilarious. The wild costume design supports the cause and allows us to have amazing shots such as Adam riding the top of the bus in a show and the three queens climbing Uluru in full drag.

 

However, while it is a lot of fun the power to support the nature of the film comes with the brave territory it covers. It allows an audience to see just how brave outward homosexuals are especially in the outback of Australia where the idea of being homosexual is shunned.

 

The three leads Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce are magnificent ensemble. The humour of the old wise queen Bernadette, delicate and focused as opposed to young Adam who is wild young and flamboyant comes up so well on screen because there is always conflict. Finally having the added story line of … going to see his son adds the needed drama for the journey.

 

This is a film I can watch over and over simply because of the entertainment value that it has and the familiarity of the Australian setting which is hardly captured on film but when it is done right it is fantastic.