Description
Los Placeres Ocultos 1977
1h 35min | Drama | April 1986 (USA)
Storyline:
A closeted banker, middle-aged and successful, falls madly in love with a poor but handsome 18-year-old student with devastating consequences for the young man. An updating of Death in Venice.
User review:
A strong tale of forbidden love in which a wealthy but undercover gay falls for a young boy . Eduardo (Simón Andréu) is a closeted , middle-aged and successful banker . But he is really homosexual who hires rent boys and teenage hustlers . As Eduardo has several trysts with very young rent boys and later on , he becomes involved with nasty blackmailers . The banker falls for the young Miguel (Tony Fuentes) and brings him into his life and although the physical attraction is only one way , Miguel is accepting of the situation and even Eduardo carries his girlfriend (Beatriz Rossat) into the arrangement . As the latter discovers himself Miguel is passionately in love with the young girl . The three seem to be working it out when the realities of the outside world intrude . Eduardo starts bringing the young man into his life and they foolishly embark on a peculiar relationship and the risks escalate . Then , Eduardo is blackmailed by a group of delinquents and Miguel’s elderly lover (Charo López) and to compromise the prominent banker as sexually as non-sexually . And ultimately happens the discovery of the scandal at the bank . At the final point the film abruptly finishes when things go wrong.
This is a provoking story in which bourgeois world collides with gay underworld and full of forbidden loves , blackmail , violence , and treason . Being realised during the troublesome period when the known ¨Spanish Transition¨ took place . This dramatic film deals with a twisted loving triangle , as Eduardo falls madly in love with a poor but handsome 18-year-old student with devastating consequences for the young man . Simón Andréu gives a fine performance as a successful banker and closeted homosexual , and acceptable acting by Tony Fuentes as a poor Spanish boy who’s heterosexual . It displays a twisted , extreme and curious screenplay by Gonzalo Goicoechea , and Eloy De La Iglesia , both of them collaborated extensively on various films . Support cast are pretty good , such as : German Cobos , Felix Rotateta , Antonio Iranzo , Fabian Conde , and finally Queta Claver and Angel Pardo , both of whom played in ¨La Corea¨ and Pardo in the same gay role . In addition , some ¨Destape¨ or nudist actresses , such as : Carmen Platero , Josele Román and Charo López herself . Atmospheric cinematography by Carlos Suarez , shot in Madrid , but a perfect remastering being extremely necessary because of the film-copy is worn-out. Evocative and adequate musical score by Carmelo A. Bernaola .
“Los Placeres Prohibidos” or ¨Hidden Pleasures¨-International title- was regularly directed by Eloy De La Iglesia . Most his films dealt with sex including shots of nude males , homosexuality , politics and forbidden lovers . De La Iglesia was a notorious communist militant , drug addict and homosexual , these personal characteristics were widely shown in his films . Eloy was a talented Spanish movies director , he began working in cinema in 1966 , at his 22 years old , he debuted in a kiddies production , ¨Fantasy 3¨(66) . Following a sordid melodrama ¨Algo Amargo En La Boca¨ (67) and a boxing story , ¨Cuadrilatero¨(69) with boxer José Legrá . De La Iglesia realizes a lot of thrilling pictures with erotic background as ¨Techo Cristal¨(70) , ¨Nadie Oyó Gritar¨ (72) , ¨Gota Sangre Para Seguir Amando¨ (73) , and scabrous/erotic tales as ¨Juegos Amor Prohibido¨(75) , ¨Otra Alcoba¨ (76) , and La Criatura dealing with zoophilia . And concerning youthful gay : ¨Placeres Ocultos¨(76) , ¨El Sacerdote¨(78) and politicians : ¨The Deputy ¨, ¨Mujer Del Ministro¨ . Although he became notorious in the years of the Spanish transition to democracy with shocking and polemic films as ¨El Pico 1¨ and 2¨ , ¨Cólegas¨ , ¨Navajeros¨, ¨La Estanquera De Vallecas¨ (87) being written by Gonzalo Goicoechea about drug world in big cities . All of them dealt with druggies , dope sellers , delinquency , terrorism , underworld suburban and generational problems are the habitual subjects in his films , and specially dedicated to the underworld of heroin ; as well as the gay world . Passing of time hasn’t had mercy with most of those movies , but they represented a time and a way of life in the history of Spain ; and now they may seem a little bit naive . His last films were an uneven comedy/denounce : ¨Miedo A Salir De Noche¨, an academic rendition based on Henry James’ novel : ¨The turn of the screw¨ and ¨Los Novios Búlgaros¨.
Director: Eloy de la Iglesia
Writers: Rafael Sánchez Campoy (screenplay), Eloy de la Iglesia (screenplay)
Stars: Simón Andreu, Charo López, Beatriz Rossat
Country: Spain
Language: Spanish
Release Date: April 1986 (USA)
Also Known As: Hidden Pleasures
Filming Locations: Madrid, Spain
Ronald Gaskin (verified owner) –
Good film