As a member of the LGBTQ community, I’m always looking for films (past and present) that tell our stories. And I have found some real discoveries. Groundbreaking filmmaker and gay-rights champion Pat Rocco’s Drifter (1974), for better or worse, is one of them.
Buy Drifter Blu-rayDrift (Joe Adair) is a bisexual hustler trying to get to Phoenix by way of Los Angeles. While in L.A. and wanting to make a living, he has several relationships with men and women, none that really go well. He doesn’t have any emotional connections to his lovers, but is actually on his own personal journey to realize that he’s perhaps more than just eye candy.
Despite its uneven direction and often rough acting, Rocco’s film is a taboo-breaking time capsule of a certain of type of sensibility that is refreshing. It also provides a decent character study of a man who may look generically handsome on the outside but wants to have substance and humanity on the inside.
This film isn’t for everyone obviously, but if you’re willing to have an open mind and are wanting to explore more gay-centric stories, then Drifter might be for you.
Special features include new audio commentary by film historian Finley Freibert and four short films: Autumn Nocturne, A Matter of Life, Strip Strip, and Sunny Boys.
