'Giovanni's room': a visually stunning film despite being overly narrative

Giovanni's room It appears in second place on the list of the 100 best gay and lesbian novels, compiled by The Publishing Triangle in 1999 and is headed by Death in VeniceIt seems logical, given that it's a novel by a writer, James Baldwin (Harlem, New York, 1924 - São Paulo, France, 1987), who in 1956 championed the normality of homosexual relationships in the United States, where sodomy wasn't decriminalized until 2003. Baldwin's book addresses the social alienation of the displaced, how to understand masculinity, identity, and, above all, sexuality. And in our view, this is the epicenter of the stage adaptation by the Internationalaal Theater Amsterdam, directed by Eleine Arbo. We recall from this director the magnificent The hoursThe stage adaptation of Michael Cunningham's novel, which premiered at the TNC last season.

The play stars David, a young bisexual American supported by his parents, who drifts through Paris. His girlfriend has gone to Spain to figure out what she wants to do with her life, and he visits an old gay man he knows by asking him for money. This man takes him to a gay club where he meets an Italian immigrant, Giovanni, with whom he begins a relationship.

This version accurately summarizes and focuses on the existential conflict and marginalization of those who didn't want to or didn't know how to come out of the closet, reflecting situations still relevant in many societies today. It does so with a visually striking and highly elaborate stage production, incorporating music and some choreography to complement the narrative, but with a somewhat detached dramatic treatment and, consequently, a degree of coldness. This point is reinforced by a spectacular lighting design that prioritizes shadows over light, thus obscuring the facial expressions and the psychological depth of the drama experienced by the performers.

Clearly, compared to a Dutch-language play that forces most of the audience to read for two hours without being able to get a good look at the stage, this won't matter much either. Perhaps the advisability of programming plays in lesser-known languages ​​should be considered.