Before Homosexuals: From Ancient Times to Victorian Crimes

Appearing in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots that marked the beginning of the modern gay liberation movement, filmmaker John Scagliotti’s documentary completes a historical trilogy that includes 1984’s Before Stonewall (with Scagliotti serving as producer—and also newly available on DVD in an anniversary edition) and 1999’s After Stonewall, which Scagliotti directed. Now he offers a prequel of sorts, drawing on literary and artistic evidence to trace the history of homosexuality from prehistoric and ancient times up to the late 19th century, complementing the visuals with commentary from such scholars as the late Louis Crompton (University of Nebraska-Lincoln), Bernadette Brooten (Brandeis University), and James Saslow (The City University of New York). The film concentrates on the West, discussing homosexual practices in ancient Greece and Rome and the persecutions of those accused of sodomy (as it came to be called) in the medieval and early modern periods, closing with a 19th-century overview that places emphasis on figures such as Walt Whitman and Oscar Wilde, as well as others who struggled against societal condemnation of those who today are called gay, lesbian, and transsexual. But it also touches more briefly on such non-Western locales as ancient Egypt, China, and Japan. Hosted and narrated by Scagliotti in an accessible homespun style, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)