Maria Goven's Play The Devil tells the story of Gregory, a gifted student from the lower class, who through hardwork and perseverance is the front runner to win a prestigious medical scholarship. While Gregory's grandmother couldn't be happier, Gregory secretly cultivates his desire to be a photo journalist, though he seemingly accepts the "reality" of his situation and the unliklihood of being able to pursue his passion. Enter James, an established and successful businessman, who begins to show an interest in Gregory, using his wealth and access in life to help Gregory, though it becomes clear that James does have romantic interests in the young man. James access opens doors but it also forces Gregory to confront his surpressed homosexuality, with James' gifts being a form of authority and power, that themselves become just another element of Gregory's oppression. Play the Devil is a film of many layers, touching on class, sexuality, religion, and individuality in its examination of Gregory, a character who has long been forced to live in a masculine dominated culture. There are many film's that touch on "coming out" or sexual oppression, but what stands out about Play the Devil is it is much bigger than that, being a film that is truly about the importance of individualsm, self esteem, and being comfortable with oneself, instead of relying on the collective aka societies expectation of what you should be. The film is really about the suppressive nature of authority, with money, societies' dominate form of sexuality, and preconceived definitions of masculinity being all oppressive representations of power and collectivism. Play the Devil ends in a way that may feel too open ended for some, but I'd argue it's the perfect ending for this story, as Gregory is faced with having to live with the guilt of what happened, guilt that at least in part, stems from his inability to be honest with himself and embrace his own individualsm. While Maria Goven's Play With The Devil does lack subtle and nuance in some of it's storytelling, relying on too much clear cut exposition, the film manages to elevate itself among mere LGBT film, making a much larger statement about societies' built in suppression of individualism.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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