My Site
Menu
This Shouldn't
Have Happened
Whitney nodded at Mary and the two of them followed Patrick into the theater. Before they could knock, someone in a black t-shirt was holding the door open for them and greeting Patrick by name. There were about fifteen people in the theater, but the film had already started so Whitney could not get a very good look at them.
The film told the story of Saint Gregory preparing to debate the Patriarch of Constantonople (Eutychius) in front of Emperor Tiberius over some theological dispute regarding Jesus’s body after resurrection. Mostly, the film consisted of Gregory praying and having serious conversations about the importance of a unified Catholic church with a group of his disciples called The Servants of Gregory.
To Whitney, the most interesting parts of the film were flashbacks explaining the life of Eutychius. He had previously been removed as Patriarch of Constantinople after publicly disagreeing with a previous emperor. As punishment, he was banished to the monastery where he had served as a younger man. Then, twelve years later, when his replacement as Patriarch died, a new emperor returned Eutychius to his old post. Arriving in Constantinople, Eutychius imitated Jesus’s entrance to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He rode in on an ass while the people in the crowd laid their garments over his path and chanted, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” I guess everyone wants to believe that a new Christ will come in their life.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about the movie was that it was filmed in Omaha in the 1930’s. While Hollywood film studios would later spend millions on sets for their religious epics, Gregory I and his Wonderful Servants had a true amateur spirit. They weren’t building sets, they were just doing the best with what was already there. The Constantinople of the film was full of brick buildings with cable car tracks in the streets. The monastery was an old farm on a hill Whitney remembered hiking with Dillon. And yet, every set was filled with extras wearing era appropriate clothing. Whitney wondered whether these extras were dedicated Catholics participating in the film as an act of devotion or whether they were just working class folks who needed a job. If the daily rate was high enough, maybe no one had to ever make the distinction.
In the first scene where Gregory and Eutychius appear in the same room, Patrick leaned over to Whitney and whispered, “You know, they’re both saints now. Big ones.” This took Whitney by surprise. So far, the film did not seem to hold Eutychius in very high regard. While Gregory was depicted as tall, handsome, and kind, Eutychius was giving classic gay villain.
Watching movies in the 21st century, I sometimes find myself wondering whether people knew what they were watching was gay. There is so much euphemism and code in gay history; ways for queer people to connect without allowing those outside of the queer community to know what was going on. That ambiguity which provided a degree of protection from homophobes and law enforcement still makes it hard to know how some messages were intended or received. What’s more, the world is always changing. Fashion and language shift faster than anyone can keep track of them. I sometimes find myself confused and disconnected from the aesthetics of people a decade or two older than me. How am I supposed to interpret the implications of an actor’s performance from ninety years ago?
And yet, I feel confident in saying that the makers of this film 100% absolutely definitely want the viewer to understand that Eutychius is GAY! His closest associate is an absolute hunk who is always right by his side and, in multiple scenes, lets Eutychius sit on his lap. When Eutychius is initially removed from his post and sent back to the monastery, the charges against him are for eating “delicate meats” and lotioning his skin. He responds to these accusations by reading everyone in the room for having bad taste. And scenes with Eutychius almost always ended with him swirling his cloak, saying something awesome and bitchy, and evil organ music playing while the screen faded to black.
All of this made Whitney love Eutychius. While Gregory spent his time in the film stomping around and talking about the importance of preserving church hierarchies, the flashbacks of Eutyichius showed a unique man living a strange life. Every time attention returned to Gregory, Whitney started to zone out.
Apparently, she wasn’t alone. About halfway through the movie, Mary gathered her stuff and left. As she made it to the aisle, she made eye contact with Whitney. Whitney mouthed, “Are you coming back?” Rather than responding, Mary left.
Should Whitney:
The film told the story of Saint Gregory preparing to debate the Patriarch of Constantonople (Eutychius) in front of Emperor Tiberius over some theological dispute regarding Jesus’s body after resurrection. Mostly, the film consisted of Gregory praying and having serious conversations about the importance of a unified Catholic church with a group of his disciples called The Servants of Gregory.
To Whitney, the most interesting parts of the film were flashbacks explaining the life of Eutychius. He had previously been removed as Patriarch of Constantinople after publicly disagreeing with a previous emperor. As punishment, he was banished to the monastery where he had served as a younger man. Then, twelve years later, when his replacement as Patriarch died, a new emperor returned Eutychius to his old post. Arriving in Constantinople, Eutychius imitated Jesus’s entrance to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. He rode in on an ass while the people in the crowd laid their garments over his path and chanted, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” I guess everyone wants to believe that a new Christ will come in their life.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about the movie was that it was filmed in Omaha in the 1930’s. While Hollywood film studios would later spend millions on sets for their religious epics, Gregory I and his Wonderful Servants had a true amateur spirit. They weren’t building sets, they were just doing the best with what was already there. The Constantinople of the film was full of brick buildings with cable car tracks in the streets. The monastery was an old farm on a hill Whitney remembered hiking with Dillon. And yet, every set was filled with extras wearing era appropriate clothing. Whitney wondered whether these extras were dedicated Catholics participating in the film as an act of devotion or whether they were just working class folks who needed a job. If the daily rate was high enough, maybe no one had to ever make the distinction.
In the first scene where Gregory and Eutychius appear in the same room, Patrick leaned over to Whitney and whispered, “You know, they’re both saints now. Big ones.” This took Whitney by surprise. So far, the film did not seem to hold Eutychius in very high regard. While Gregory was depicted as tall, handsome, and kind, Eutychius was giving classic gay villain.
Watching movies in the 21st century, I sometimes find myself wondering whether people knew what they were watching was gay. There is so much euphemism and code in gay history; ways for queer people to connect without allowing those outside of the queer community to know what was going on. That ambiguity which provided a degree of protection from homophobes and law enforcement still makes it hard to know how some messages were intended or received. What’s more, the world is always changing. Fashion and language shift faster than anyone can keep track of them. I sometimes find myself confused and disconnected from the aesthetics of people a decade or two older than me. How am I supposed to interpret the implications of an actor’s performance from ninety years ago?
And yet, I feel confident in saying that the makers of this film 100% absolutely definitely want the viewer to understand that Eutychius is GAY! His closest associate is an absolute hunk who is always right by his side and, in multiple scenes, lets Eutychius sit on his lap. When Eutychius is initially removed from his post and sent back to the monastery, the charges against him are for eating “delicate meats” and lotioning his skin. He responds to these accusations by reading everyone in the room for having bad taste. And scenes with Eutychius almost always ended with him swirling his cloak, saying something awesome and bitchy, and evil organ music playing while the screen faded to black.
All of this made Whitney love Eutychius. While Gregory spent his time in the film stomping around and talking about the importance of preserving church hierarchies, the flashbacks of Eutyichius showed a unique man living a strange life. Every time attention returned to Gregory, Whitney started to zone out.
Apparently, she wasn’t alone. About halfway through the movie, Mary gathered her stuff and left. As she made it to the aisle, she made eye contact with Whitney. Whitney mouthed, “Are you coming back?” Rather than responding, Mary left.
Should Whitney:
Copyright © 2015