NIGHTHAWKS

Title: Nighthawks
Director: Ron Peck
Starring: Ken Robertson, Rachel Nicholas James
Rating: 3/4 stars

This is one interesting film. Released in 1978, it depicts a time in gay life when AIDS wasn't even a thought. The story of a London teacher and his escapades in the gay bar scene, Nighthawks could be a documentary. Long shots of men dancing are plentiful. This movie is the definition of 'slice of life'. A couple of times I found myself bored with the lengthy scenes with no dialogue, and weird 70's disco music playing in the background. But it served the purpose of showing what Jims experience was really like, in a way that no other film has done for me. Nothing much happened in this movie, and yet it is pretty brilliant. I say that because at the beginning of the movie, when Jim entered the bar, I felt sorry for him, but, by the end of the movie, he again enters the bar, and I felt somhow empowered. A brutally realistic movie, that portrays the experiences of sleeping with, and getting to know different men, Nighthawks really made me think. When Jim frankly discusses his sexual identity with his students at the end of the film it is such a wonderful moment. This is a Gayssential!!