BlackStar: Autobiography of a Close Friend
1976
A Film by Tom Joslin
Color & B/W, 91 Minutes, Sound

Given the film, its title is somewhat mystifying.  The story depicted, of Tom Joslin's family history and subsequent life as a gay man, is neither very dark, nor especially bright.  In fact, there are many gay people who will no doubt envy the late Mr. Joslin's rather settled existence as a homosexual, at least insofar as this film made in 1976 is concerned.  The film opens with the director's family history characterized by 8mm footage, presumably taken by Joslin's parents, and 16mm shots taken by the director, intercut with cartoon animation from the 1940s.  This montage gives way to document interviews with each member of the family, which serve as a roster of opinions regarding the source of Joslin's sexual orientation.  

His mother, with a cat in her lap and set amongst the familiar objects which comprise the Family Room, believes after reflection that her son is genetically gay (and admired Hol Holbrook's performance in "That Certain Summer").  His father believes that things "went wrong" when his son fell in with "arty types," but seems to be more or less accepting of the novelty, all things considered (his son's lover, however, is evaluated as having "three strikes against him" and is not well-liked by either the mother or the father).  All of this background and context culminates in the introduction of Joslin's lover, Mark Massi, who at one point sits on a rooftop next to an antenna array against a clear winter sky, reading a bit of Militant Gay Rhetoric.  Mr. Massi acutely feels the dislike of Joslin's parents, is uncomfortable with the premise of the film, feels that film school was at least an untimely decision for Tom, if not the wrong decision altogether, and wants badly for a true capture of that which exists emotionally between he and his lover, the filmmaker, Tom Joslin.  This never happens.  

The film meanders through Tom Joslin's life, easily distracted and indecisive as to its topic, and largely serves as a kind of scrapbook of Joslin's experience before and after the arrival of Mark Massi, who is a catalyst perhaps for change, but not necessarily transformation.  Many of us will relate to what are now stock-even stereotypical, characteristics of the gay male, and this makes for a sort of comfort food in viewing, but does not ultimately proffer any answers to the question which the director repeatedly asks: "Why am I gay?"  The film ends, appropriately enough, on a little dialogue after a dance between Joslin and Massi:

Joslin: "...could you tell me what Gertrude Stein's last words to Alice B. Toklas were?"

Massi: "Alice turned to Gertrude on her death bed and said 'Gertrude-what's the answer?'"

Joslin: "And...what did Gertrude reply?"

Massi: "What's the question?"

     This is arguably the answer which the director is after in this 90
minute film. Rather than winding up into a point, this film spreads out into a regular passage of time, deposited at a present moment.  Probably a desirable place to be.

- Jeffrey Moss