Bloodless Coup

Shortbus

Most of the commentary about Shortbus emphasizes the graphic sexuality, the "only in New York" quality of the film, or that it was made by John Cameron Mitchell who directed Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Of all of those, the only one that stands out to me is the last, and it's because like Hedwig, Shortbus is an incredibly sweet film. The sex is almost unimportant - aside from serving as the glue that bring people who are out of the norm to build their own community - in relation to the universal threads about relationships, depression, friends, doubt, confusion, and how to open onself to being loved. The main characters don't know how to let themselves be loved, and we watch their stories unfold, watch them teeter on the brink, stumble and fall. The last happens, luckily for them, in the arms of the Shortbus community.

Make no mistake, there is group sex. A rim job. Masturbation. Dildoes and vibrators. Gay sex. Lots and lots of penises. Auto-fellatio. And none of it is really sensationalism. If you're not comfortable with your own sexuality, and that of people who don't do what you do in bed (or on the kitchen counter, or on the piano, or whatever) you'll have a hard time with this movie. The ticket lady said that 75-80% of people were walking out of the theater. I can see why some people walked out, especially if they are fixated on the penis or addicted to the feeling of moral outrage. I don't agree with that action, and it's too bad they couldn't see past the penis. And I wonder what people are expecting when they go into an unrated movie, hmm?

In the end Shortbus is a love story, addressed not just to lovers but friends, their community, and New York City itself.