Taxi zum Klo

Upon its initial release in 1981, writer-director Frank Ripploh's semi-autobiographical film—the title can be translated as “Taxi to the Toilet”—caused quite a stir due to its explicit sexuality. The fractured, zany tale finds gay schoolteacher Ripploh (playing himself) trapped between love for his mild-mannered partner, who wants a settled, stable relationship, and his own unquenchable desire for casual sex and a penchant to dress in drag. The story—which also features some very graphic scenes of Frank's medical examinations—unspools in a manner as disheveled as its shaggy-haired protagonist, without much regard for either chronology or narrative logic (intercut with explicit, semi-documentary footage—often in grainy black and white—of sexual encounters). With its depiction—even celebration—of a completely uninhibited gay lifestyle, Taxi Zum Klo hails from a pre-AIDS era. Many viewers will find it way too raunchy for their taste, but Ripploh cuts an engaging figure, especially in his scenes with his rambunctious students, and the central conflict between the demands of monogamy and an impulse to promiscuity cuts across all sexual orientations. Remastered for this 30th anniversary uncut edition, DVD extras include an archival interview with Ripploh, and an illustrated gallery with production stills and press clippings. A strong candidate for serious cinema history collections, this is optional elsewhere for all but the most adventurous. (F. Swietek)