Antoine is an accountant, uptight and withdrawn, married to Edith, who picks out his clothes and shoes. He’s assigned to a fitness gymnasium for a month to straighten out their books. The owner, M. Roland, encourages Antoine to use the facilities, including the massages, so Antoine goes to Dominique, a muscular African. In these sessions, Antoine discovers that the pain is comforting, and Dominique finds the accountant ideal for his own sadism. When Dominique breaks Antoine’s arm and then goes to the hospital to take Antoine away, Antoine confesses his fascination with and fear of death. With Dominique’s help, the accountant breaks all earthly ties to confront his fear.

A homoerotic exploration of the Odyssey mixing black and white, color, and old film clips.

This 1985 Spanish film reveals one of the many terrible aspects of 16th century Spain, still plagued by the radical Christian Inquisition, one of a plethora of difficulties Spaniards faced at the time. Spanish super star Carmen Maura plays a nun who agrees to a selfless scam, a fake stigmata, only to avoid separation from her lover, another nun. It’s a serious and passionate work, highlighting the theme of outspoken women-against-repression, seen in other good gay and lesbian films. This is not a lesbian “Nun sense” or another “Dark Habits” (by Almodovar, which also starred Carmen Maura, and also set in a Spanish convent, with some lesbian nuns). Perhaps, best of all, ‘Extramuros’ is realistic and frank. It isn’t shy about its characters’ sexuality. Their sexuality, and the film as a whole are genuine.