While we’re glad that there have been a lot of good LGBT or lesbian movies released recently, we’re still thankful for the classic lesbian movies of yesteryear that helped us feel we’re not alone.
Of course, nowadays, it’s hard to peg what’s a classic: what could have been a modern take in the 1970s for us could now be regarded as a classic now.
That’s why when we compiled this list of classic lesbian movies from the past, we thought that we would set a arbitrary period as the limit, say the 1980s, and go from there.
Classic lesbian movies: Mädchen in Uniform
Made in 1913, the German film Mädchen in Uniform or “Girls in Uniform” is an international cult classic that looks at the relationship between a teenage student and her teacher at a boarding school. This movie is also considered by many to be the first lesbian film.
Classic lesbian movies: The Children’s Hour
Based on the 1934 play of Lillian Hellman, The Children’s Hour was made in 1962 and starred luminaries like Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine. A story of two women that own a school accused by a grudging student of being lovers, MacLaine told the Hollywood Reporter that the scenes that indicated her and Aundrey’s characters were lovers had been cut from the film. The movie was nominated for five Academy Awards.
Classic lesbian movies: The Killing of Sister George
Made in 1968, the movie The Killing of Sister George was about a failing actress named June “George” Buckridge played by Beryl Reid in both stage and screen version. Aside from the relationship between George and a younger woman, the film also showed the interior of a lesbian nightclub. It was later given an “X” rating.
Classic lesbian movies: Dyketactics
Actually more of a short film, Barbara Hammer’s pioneering four-minute Dyketactics was made in 1974. Hammer called this movie her “lesbian commercial” and her work has inspired other film and video that cover lesbian love and sex, radical feminist politics, and lesbian/queer film history.
Classic lesbian movies: Desert Hearts
Regarded as one of the first mainstream movies to have a lesbian storyline, Desert Hearts was made in 1985 and is now considered a classic. Based on Jane Rule’s novel, the movie is about the story of a Columbia professor and divorcee Vivian who flees her life and falls for a cowgirl Cay.
So what other classic lesbian movies have we missed? Post your recommendations in the comment section below!