Desert Hearts 11/07/17

By 1985 Hollywood had still only dabbled in movies about the ‘shame that cannot speak its name,’ and in every case the verdict for the transgressors was sadness and misery, if not death. Donna Deitch’s brilliant drama achieves exactly what she wanted, to do make a movie about a lesbian relationship that doesn’t end in a tragedy. Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau make a fascinating couple; also starring Audra Lindley, Andra Akers, and Gwen Welles. On Blu-ray from The Criterion Collection.
11/07/17