apparently ‘sanitized’ version of Mercury
that the film portrayed.
Despite the foot-stomping musical
numbers, critics and LGBT activists were
concerned about the straightwashing
of Mercury’s personal life in the film. It
seemed to many that the star’s sexuality
was overly downplayed and that the
picture was not an accurate portrayal as
a result. Rami Malek himself has spoken
on the subject stating that he would
have liked to include more of Mercury’s
‘beautiful relationship with Jim
Hutton’, and elaborated that the
romance was, ‘... something I
pushed for, to be quite honest, as
much as possible and repeatedly
brought to the attention of
producers and directors and
everyone who would listen.’
Despite this controversy the film
has gone on to become the highest-
grossing LGBT film ever, as well
as the highest-grossing musical
biopic of all time. This success was
mirrored globally and, unusually
for an LGBT project, the film
was even released in China and
Egypt. Although the film was subjected to
censorship and edits before being shown in
these countries, it is a remarkable feat and
a testament to the passion for the music of
Queen that is felt around the world.
Despite a decidedly lukewarm critical
reception Bohemian Rhapsody went on
to storm the awards ceremonies of 2019,
taking home four Academy Awards
for Best Actor, Best Film Editing, Best
Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing,
and two Golden Globes for Best Actor –
Motion Picture Drama and Best Motion
Picture – Drama. With these wins
Bohemian Rhapsody also took home the
dubious title of being the lowest reviewed
Golden Globes winner in thirty-three
years – a title that seems to perfectly show
the juxtaposition of feelings regarding the
picture.
Speaking about the conflicting
opinions surrounding the awards granted
to Bohemian Rhapsody, Brian Mayreleased this statement through Twitter:
‘Well, yes. You saw I went very quiet
after the Oscars were over, signaling the
end of the whole movie awards season.
What really happened? We opened
the Academy Awards show in a way
it’s NEVER been opened before, in an
avalanche of excitement, looking out
on an instant standing ovation from a
glittering audience containing many
of our heroes, all beaming and singingwith us and punching the air. We then,
shockingly, walked away with four Oscars- the top haul of the night. The head
of local production came up to me and
shook my hand as we left the auditorium.
He said “I’ve been doing the Oscars for
forty years, and that was the best opening
we ever had!” A lovely moment. So –
everyone assumes that we would then all
go forth, deliriously partying with not
a care in the world. But I guess I’m not
that kind of animal. I was, and I am,
deeply grateful for our Freddie film
being recognised in a way we never
had the audacity to expect. But I
found the public activity behind
the whole awards season, and the
behaviour of the media writers
surrounding it, deeply disturbing.
If you look at the Press and Internet
discussions that took place over the
last few months, you can see that
90% of it is aimed at discrediting
one or other, or all of the
nominated films by innuendo and
smears, rather than discussing their
merits and admiring the skills that
went into making them. Vitriol and
dishonesty, and blatant attempts to shame
and influence the members into voting
the way they, in their arrogance required
them to. It’s not the fault of the awards
panels – they stood up well. It’s a kind
of vindictive sickness that seems to have
gripped public life. All through it, I’ve
been biting my tongue, not wishing to
influence the results of the ballots even by
a hair. But, when the curtain came down,
I was left with very mixed feelings.’
“Rami Malek’s
impersonation adds a kind
of magic to this Queen-
produced rock slog with
a troubling moralistic
s u b t e x t .”
Steve Rose – The Guardian