The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

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The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Director: Stephan Elliott

A gloriously and self-unashamedly flamboyant movie The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert is a road movie following two drag queens and a transsexual as they traverse Australia.

Achieving a sensitive balance in moving between magnificent costumes and extrovert behaviour to quiet contemplation and serious discussion of complex issues the film explores the highs of performing in public and contrasts them with the depression, self-doubt and weariness suffered by many transgendered people.

Terence Stamp brings tremendous vitality and plausibility to the lead role of Bernadette, a drag queen who isn't sure where to go in life. His performance is matched by Hugo Weaving's portrayal of Mitzi, another drag queen, but this time with a female partner and a school-aged son.

They are accompanied by the now very famous Guy Pierce as Felicia, a pre-op transsexual. Felicia contrasts with the other two by being a very different character, and adds tension and conflict to the film.

As Roger Ebert points out in his review one of the delights of this film is that it transcends the obvious subject matter and becomes a film about a normal person - who just happens to be a drag queen. This makes the film far more accessible to a normal audience and helps create sympathy and understanding towards drag queens.

Incidentally the Priscilla of the title is an ordinary bus - decorated in an extraordinary manner.

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