A former wrestler’s furious response to his portrayal in the Oscar-nominated film Foxcatcher underscores society’s resistance to sexual difference, writes Jessie Cohen.
A former wrestler’s furious response to his portrayal in the Oscar-nominated film underscores society’s resistance to sexual difference.
‘Foxcatcher’, starring Channig Tatum and Steve Carell, has spawned a revealing response from Olympic gold medalist wrestler Mark Schultz. (Reuters)
In mainstream cinema, the repetitive trope “gay men who kill” is one that can be so ambiguously drawn, so subtly threaded through the narrative that it can pass undetected.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope (1948), Sam Mendes’s American Beauty (1999) and now the five-time Oscar-nominated Foxcatcher (2014) by Bennett Miller continue to reinforce that narrative.
Since its release, Foxcatcher has spawned a revealing response from Mark Schultz – an Olympic gold medalist wrestler (played by Channing Tatum in the film) – after critics pointed to an underlying tension implicating Schultz in a sexual relationship with American billionaire and wrestling enthusiast John E du Pont (played by Steve Carell).
The biopic maps Du Pont’s struggle between his patriotic identity and his homosexual urges, culminating in the cold-blooded killing of Schultz’s brother, fellow wrestler Dave (played by Mark Ruffalo).
Gay label fear
Late last year, Schultz launched a Twitter tirade against Miller, stating: “I HATE BENNETT MILLER. I HATE EVERYTHING THAT SCUM TOUCHES. EVERYTHING!!!”
In a more pointed rant, he also accuses Miller of “jeopardising my legacy” and calls him a “pussy” for propagating “a sickening and insulting lie”, adding, among other disclaimers, that he has “never touched” Du Pont.
Understandably, anyone would be upset by the suggestion of a sexual relationship that never existed – but why the rage from Schultz? Considering the nature of his language, his aggression might be an indication of the fear and revulsion of being labelled and remembered in history as a homosexual.
U-turn
In an unexplained volte-face, Schultz deleted and retracted his “harsh” words. Last week, he praised Miller for producing a “miracle” movie that “is going to help wrestling”. He vows to “love my interpretation and will ignore the haters”.
We’re left to speculate about what prompted this shift in attitude, but perhaps the six degrees of separation from the Academy the nominations have brought Schultz has softened the blow considerably.
What Schultz’s Twitter tirade has unwittingly done, however, is force a spotlight on the “homicidal homosexual” trope that may otherwise have gone unnoticed. Now it seems difficult not to watch Foxcatcher without picking up the homoerotic tension as the main thread.
See complete report in Mail & Guardian
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PHOTO: ‘Foxcatcher’, starring Channig Tatum and Steve Carell, has spawned a revealing response from Olympic gold medalist wrestler Mark Schultz. (Reuters)
