Directed by Jim Sharman, the film is an adaptation of the Off Broadway musical written by Richard O’Bien and brought to the stage in 1973. In the film, he mixed rising stars with the cast of the play. The main theme of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is to be a satire of horror films, which is why there are many references to haunted mansions, mad scientists and Frankenstein, for example.
Right at the beginning, a red mouth sings “Double Feature” introducing the story that is to come, rambling on about various B-movie characters, while the opening credits roll. Then, we are introduced to the bride and groom played by Susan Sarandon and Barry Bastwick, who at a wedding party will perform the first musical number and set the tone for the film.
When the couple gets trapped in a storm, they end up finding the mansion of horrors and bizarre characters, such as the maid Magenta. The narrative is built entirely around different musicals with lots of dancing, painting and costumes, which mix eroticism and horror. The arrival of Dr. Furter, played by Tim Curry, is triumphant. He enters singing “Sweet Transvestite”, a song that years later would become an anthem.
The film was shot in the United Kingdom, at Bray Studios and uses part of the collection of the legendary horror film production company, Hammer, in its setting, which is truly impeccable combined with scandalous theatrical lighting and bold art direction.
With the arrival of the mad scientist, who is actually an alien transvestite, the film’s direction becomes increasingly absurd. He creates a man in golden swimming trunks whom he calls Rocky, who ends up becoming an object of desire. This creature is reminiscent of Pygar, a character from “Barbarella”, a film from years before.
With a unique aesthetic, the film gradually builds to the point of achieving a queer catharsis. An absolute classic that pays homage to horror icons while offering its own acidic and ironic take on homosexuality. The costumes, with fishnet stockings and corsets, began to be worn by the queer community, which today has “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” as a reference for its culture. The musical work is a true LGBTQIA+ celebration.
*Eduardo de Assumpção is a journalist and responsible for the blog cinematografiaqueer.blogspot.com
Instagram: @cinematografiaqueer
Twitter: @eduardoirib
By Ezatamentchy
Source: Maxima
I am an experienced author and journalist with a passion for lifestyle journalism. I currently work for Buna Times, one of the leading news websites in the world. I specialize in writing stories about health, wellness, fashion, beauty, interior design, and more. My articles have been featured on major publications such as The Guardian and The Huffington Post.