Both ahead and of it’s time, Vera is a hard hitting exploration of the pure alienation, loneliness, and frustration of being trans when no one else around you truly understands, when you have no example to follow- at least no positive ones. Bauer wants to be seen but so rarely is, and tragically the only version of masculinity he has to follow is the one set by his abusive caretakers of his orphanage. Nogueira approaches the role with empathy and a raw and aching soul, and the cinematography is eye catching, like the gradual darkening of Bauer’s face in the final talk, obscuring his face as his last hope of companionship and understanding fades. Combined with the oppressive music, it lends the film an almost horror tone, bringing the viewer in to the nightmare he’s living in a body and life he cannot escape.
It’s not perfect- it’s from the 80s and directed by a cis man, so there are missteps, the title being the most glaring. But it’s still a cornerstone of queer cinema, made with empathy, and well worth a look.
Shout by JCVIP 4BlockedParent2023-06-17T09:12:04Z
Both ahead and of it’s time, Vera is a hard hitting exploration of the pure alienation, loneliness, and frustration of being trans when no one else around you truly understands, when you have no example to follow- at least no positive ones. Bauer wants to be seen but so rarely is, and tragically the only version of masculinity he has to follow is the one set by his abusive caretakers of his orphanage. Nogueira approaches the role with empathy and a raw and aching soul, and the cinematography is eye catching, like the gradual darkening of Bauer’s face in the final talk, obscuring his face as his last hope of companionship and understanding fades. Combined with the oppressive music, it lends the film an almost horror tone, bringing the viewer in to the nightmare he’s living in a body and life he cannot escape.
It’s not perfect- it’s from the 80s and directed by a cis man, so there are missteps, the title being the most glaring. But it’s still a cornerstone of queer cinema, made with empathy, and well worth a look.