Tonia, the focus of "To Die Like a Man."

“This movie is hard to classify under one genre,” proclaimed one of the directors of the New York Film Festival in his introduction to Joao Pedro Rodrigues’ “To Die Like a Man.” While it’s true the film doesn’t conform to one genre, one word can define the film as a whole– train-wreck.

A simple synopsis is hard to convey since no real story ever truly emerges throughout the excessively long 2 hours and 15 minute film. Though not necessarily a fatal length, the fact that “To Die Like a Man” not only lacks a narrative drive but also likeable characters, tolerable actors, and even a central theme proves the running time to be beyond bearable. Add onto that a serious tonal identity crisis in a failed attempt at mixing the conventions of the musical genre with that of melodrama just results in something more akin to soap opera. And for a story centered on a transvestite just living (about as specific as the ADD-riddled screenplay ever becomes), a constant tone is required to follow such an erratic life.

The true shame of the whole ordeal is in it’s failed potential to explore transgender culture. Gay cinema, though still young, hasn’t crossed into the mainstream as much as it so rightly deserves. That’s not to say the movies thus far have deserved to be seen by mass audiences, because honestly, most haven’t. Much like “To Die Like a Man”, recent Gay Cinema endeavors have been plagued by problems of excess melodrama and just plain sexual sensationalism, specifically in gratuitous sex scenes.

The Gay Cinema movement needs true, preferably young visionaries to universalize Gay Cinema so people from all walks of life can relate to their stories, as Spike Lee and John Singleton did for Black Cinema. Though attempts such as “To Die Like a Man” are a start, the film’s inferior quality will prevent it from ever being widely distributed and seen by the masses necessary for a true cinema movement to commence.

TRASH HUMPERS

The one and only Trash Humpers.

A group of elderly folk wanders around Nashville literally humping trashcans for 75 minutes. Not interested? Stop reading. Still intrigued? As you were.

Harmony Korine, through his notoriously twisted cinematic universes, has gathered a modern almost Lynchian-esque following of young societal black sheep, who sold out both screenings of the film, eager to get a first glimpse at Harmony’s newest, blackest view of reality in “Trash Humpers.”

If there were an award for the most blatantly obvious title since “Snakes on a Plane,” this would devour that cake. There is no story. No plot. No characters even. Just four devious social security-covered vagabonds and their various sexual exploits with everything from trashcans to plant stalks. Only adding to the deliciously grotesque spectacle is Harmony’s decision to film the movie on VHS, giving the impression that this is an old home video that has been rediscovered in a ditch. Film breaks are abundant where it’s clear the original tapers taped over previous primal scenes with their local dumpsters. In other words, it’s “A Clockwork Orange” meets “Jackass.”

But how is it??? First and foremost, it’s an experience. Whatever one’s final judgment on the film ends up being, the experience of simply sitting in a theatre and watching the absolutely absurd events unfold for 75 minutes is one not likely to be forgotten for decades, if for no other reason than the shock of the entire ordeal. Film fanatics who see hundred of movies a year will not even try to claim they’ve seen anything remotely similar to this.

Now the film’s significance and meaning is a whole other issue entirely. What the hell is “Trash Humpers?” Is it a critique of American society? Is this society repressive (which in turn creates this reactionist behavior) or vile? Why are the characters old? Is it subtly alluding to the danger that if the old are this bad, imagine what the young must be like? How can these this over 60 group still have the energy to vandalize the way they do, tap dancing and all? And why do they have such grotesque masks? Is this a form of sexual expression in an increasingly sexually confused society? Is this simply a matter of self-expression in general? Or could this even be a testament to the increasingly technological and inanimate nature of American society, and thus the old react against such new innovations by making some good-loving with the least technological, lowliest objects, namely trashcans?

Or is “Trash Humpers” simply meant to be an experience without any deeper meaning. Is this in turn saying no part of American society has any deeper meaning, no matter how hard we try looking for such meaning? Or maybe questions aren’t even supposed to be asked and meaning isn’t supposed to be sought. The only character in the film who tries to put the Trash Humpers’ actions into any sort of context ends up brutally murdered…so maybe that’s Harmony’s warning to the audience’s ever questioning brain.

Only one sure fact arises from viewing “Trash Humpers” – trashcans will never look the same again. So in that respect, the film is a major success.

Trash Humpers screens at the Walter Reade Theater on October 2 at 11:30 pm.