Rosa Von Praunheim does a funny representation of the life of one of the first true pioneers of the research in sexuality, Magnus Hirschfield. Who developed theories explaining human sexuality 60 years before Kinsey. Von Pranheim gives us a drama with a touch of sense of humor, like for example when Magnus takes the chief of police to all the gay places in town and makes him dance with his transvestite collaborator! Other sweet moments are when Magnus masturbates using an antique plugged onto his penis; or when he invites the visitors of the institution to feel the warmth of a giant penis carved out of an elephant's horn. Praunheim doesn't save on commentary and opinion either, he ridicules the role of the so called male homosexuals that follow the Greek tradition and reject sissies and fairies, by showing the excessively strong handshake and their failed bravery (they go to war and get killed) through which they seek to overcompensate for their sexual orientation. It's also notable how he puts his transvestite maid, Dorchen, in a role where she makes herself get respected by the Nazi youth, towards the end. The director isn't short on explicit images, he's not afraid of showing nude men, close-ups of genitalia or a scene of spanking; this is also a way of protesting against the conventionalism and censorship that cinema imposes on itself in order to appeal to the masses. Despite being a low budget telefilm with sub-par photography and camera work, I think this movie is a jewel of freedom, irony, and shows the style of a director that, within the kitsch, is also as advocate as Magnus Hirschfield himself was for the rights of the LGBT community.
Review of The Einstein of Sex
