Flaw of Desire

Law of Desire

Directed by Pedro Almodovar

At the USA Nickelodeon

THE PLOT of Law of Desire is worthy of any daytime melodrama. There are two love triangles, a spurned lover and characters jumping from bed to bed. As is clear from the very first scene, however, General Hospital this ain't.

The lovers in this movie are homosexual and one of the love triangles includes a transsexual. And instead of the stifling seriousness of soap opera, Spanish director Pedro Almodovar injects a chaotic, farcical note which undermines the hackneyed plot.

At the center of the movie is Pablo (Eusobio Poncela), a famous movie director whose sister (Carmen Maura) is a transsexual. Pablo dreams of a lover who will adore him completely but he chases young Juan, who will not commit to him. "I'm typing the letter I want to receive," Pablo writes Juan, "if you don't mind, sign it and send it back."

When Pablo is pursued by one one of his ardent fans. Antonio (Antonio Banderas), Pablo beds him, but will not return any affection. He underestimates, however, the fury of a love scorned. Antonio's revenge touches everyone involved in Pablo's life and brings the movie to its predictably melodramatic conclusion.

Almodovar's version of homosexual love is far more adventurous and honest than any of Hollywood's tame, schmaltzy attempts to portray gay relationships such as Making Love and Personal Best. Even the recent British films by Stephen Frears, My Beautiful Launderette and Prick Up Your Ears, which dealt with homosexuality intelligently and forthrightly, shied away from exploring sexual intimacy on a par with straight films. The graphic homosexual sex in Law of Desire may seem irresponsible in light of AIDS, but in Almodovar's world, caution is irrelevant.

Although Almodovar's depiction of gay love is honest, it is by no means solemn. For although the sex scenes are among the most explicit and frankly erotic in recent film, gay or straight, the movie never loses its sense of humor. In the first love scene between Pablo and Antonio, Pablo tells his inexperienced admirer, "You shouldn't kiss like you're unclogging the sink."

Most of the humor stems from the way Almodovar plays with our notions about love and relationships. He takes special delight in destroying the easy, escapist nature of most melodrama. He even overturns the convention of the damsel in distress. Maura, as the transsexual actress, is sexy and provocative--Almodovar makes the audience lust after her and want to protect her. At the same time, we are constantly reminded that she was once a man.

Almodovar is unrestrained even in terms of cinematic techniques. He shoots Pablo as he types from beneath the typewriter, for instance, so that we view him through the keys. In another silly scene, Pablo types to the music. There's no consistent aesthetic--just a series of random flourishes.

All of Law of Desire's excesses--of emotion, of irony, of guts--are entertaining but ultimately messy. The end of the movie is a strange brew--part cop show, part overblown tragedy and part comedy.

The mumbo-jumbo at the end of the movie further demonstrates Almodovar's utter lack of subtlety, his chaotic design. Indeed, he takes no notice of any traditional ideas of propriety. But as one of his characters says, "It's not enough to be unscrupulous. You have to have a certain sense of humor." In Law of Desire, Almodovar uses his well.