The DVD of The Laramie Project could be accused of going straight for the tear ducts but it also has a substantial, and in many ways, subtle argument, which is sustained to the end. It’s a fairly simple argument, in essence; Thou shalt not kill’. Not even if you are the State of
The Project was the gathering by members of the Tectonic Theatre group of viva voce witness from the people of the town of
Matthew Shepard was robbed, ferociously assaulted, and left tied to a wooden fence in the open
Some attempted to do so, one man chaseSean interviewer off his porch, a woman points out that a veteran State Trooper ( one of our own) had been killed, in an accident, on the same night as Matthew, she also implied that he was flaunting’ himself and was a bar fly’. I assume that we are supposed to disapprove of this, and admittedly, it is just a bit cold-blooded. People who lived in
Many interviewees stated that they were shocked that the killers came from
The latter, or their relations, attempted to float a vague class’ excuse Matthew Shepard was evidently well-off (his mother was a university teacher, and his father worked in oil’). He (Matthew) had travelled in
The details of Matthew’s injuries shocked everyone involved in the investigation of his killing, including the policewoman who was called to help when a Good Samaritan found him. (She is brilliantly played by Amy Madigan, Matthew was HIV+ and she got substantial quantities of his blood on her hands. She had cut them in several places when trying to save Matthew an upbeat moment at the end of the film is her barbecue celebrating her HIV negative status). Matthew was unrecognisable, covered in blood, and tied to the fence so tightly that it took and experienced police operative quite a long time to cut the twine used to tie him up. These are classic Portsmouth Defence’ signs designed to destroy the victim’s humanity it did not succeed in this case. And has, thankfully, become defunct as a ploy in law courts.
Moises Kaufman (played by Nestor Carbonell) directed the stage original of this drama. A number of big names’ play very small parts, like Joshua Jackson and Summer Phoenix, and Peter Fonda and Steve Buscemi, as medical personnel, and Francis Sternhagen (a famous Broadway, or more likely, off-Broadway performer) who plays the policewoman’s mother. Of the Tectonic Theatre team, James Murtaugh had the less than pleasant task of playing the Reverend’ Fred Phelps, who inevitably made an exhibition of himself, (and his children) at Matthew’s funeral. Michael Emerson played the Phelps-like Reverend’, and Tom Bower the sympathetic Catholic priest Fr. Roger Schmit.
I suspect that even the most detached persons, will feel strong emotions while viewing this movie. They will consist of what the ancient Greeks thought was necessary for catharsis terror and pity. All Gay women and men will also feel deep anger that such things can happen at all, much less at this point in our liberation. It is rather cold comfort, but clearly a great many non-Gay people feel the same way.
Se n McGouran ?
I must point out that the headline started out with a question / interrogation mark at the end.