15. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

This film is #3 on my Flickchart and that's probably quite accurate. I am frequently quoting/stealing lines from it and it gets watched a least once a year. Never fails to cheer me up


2 Sydney based drag queens and a transsexual get a job performing in Alice Springs. To get there they buy a bus ("from 3 swedes named Lars, Lars and Lars!") and head across the desert with hilarious consequences. That would be the pitch anyway.

As all great comedies go, this is grounded in telling the story and showing depth in the characters and it's the characters that I love bout this film. It isn't over egged with back story, just very effective flashback cutaways for all 4 of Priscilla's passengers (they are joined by Bob the Mechanic along the way.)

It is a sumptuous looking film too. The outback is so monochrome, but to throw the brightness of the outfits and the bus against the red of the desert is extremely effective. A little bit of sparkle goes a long way!

The outfits really are something. Very in vocative of the times in the Sydney drag scene. Whereas in other parts of the world, drag artists were just caricatures of women miming to pop songs, in Sydney, the drag scene had developed into some strange cabaret monster with astonishing outfits that were more like art installations than dresses. It was encountering this whole scene at Sydney Mardi Gras that had inspired Stephan Elliot to write this screenplay.
The costumes won an Oscar that year, which is hilarious considering they were put together on a shoestring (thankfully one of the designers mum worked in Kmart and had a discount) and they were the most disposable garments ever, falling to pieces when removed. However the vibrancy of them makes them an essential role in the film.

The dialogue contains some very witty banter, most of it lifted from the lips of real life drag queens and encounters with homophobia by the writer/director. This film certainly does equip you with an arsenal of rapier comebacks. It's the polarised tender moments that also get you. As I say, the drama adds so much depth to the piece. Terence Stamp's portrayal of Bernadette is very well done. You see from the slightest touches that it is a well studied character. Not to take away from the other guys. It is a well balanced act. Cynical old Bernadette, constantly fretting Mitzi and young, carefree Felicia are a winning trio. Bob is just along for the ride, but the development of his relationship with Bernadette is shown in a touching way.

All in all, this is a great film. On a par with Torch Song Trilogy at showing drag artistes in a sympathetic light and the first transsexual I saw in a film. Gay politics aside, it is just a great film. Laugh out loud funny and not just through joke after joke. It's clever, witty and caring about it's protagonists. A+

Lizzie Gardiner and Tim Chappel collecting their Oscars. Her in a dress made from gold Amex cards, him in a tuxedo dress. That's how to red carpet!

"Oh Felicia, where the fuck are we?"