Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
Directed by John Cameron Mitchell
Written by John Cameron Mitchell
Starring John Cameron Mitchell, Michael Pitt, Andrea Martin, Miriam Shor
Release Date July 20th, 2001
Published November 27th, 2001
One of my favorite shows is VH1's behind the music and my favorite part is usually about 30 minutes in when the announcer intones "Fame came with a price." For Hedwig the genderless protagonist of Hedwig and the Angry Inch the price is one I know I could not have paid.
You see Hedwig used to be Hansel an earnest faced gay teen living in communist East Germany who decides to attempt to become a woman after falling in love with an American GI. I say attempts to become a woman because poor Hansel's operation went awry leaving him with an angry inch get it. Penis or no penis Hansel marries the GI, changes his name to Hedwig and moves to a Kansas trailer park. All of this is enough material for a fascinating offbeat comedy but this is merely the back-story to Hedwig. John Cameron Mitchell writes directs and stars as Hedwig, which he created in an off Broadway theater.
The music is the real star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch; it is brilliant rock music like nothing that's been heard in years. The music emulates Bowie Iggy Pop and the New York Dolls with only slightly more accessible pop edge. There is a great deal of Ziggy Stardust in Hedwig and thank God, if your gonna steal steal from the best.
Oh how nice it is to see a film that is surprising, that is not bound by the rules of genre or conventional filmmaking. Hedwig is a breath of fresh air and one of the best films of the year.
