Don't you know me, Kansas City?... I'm the new Berlin Wall!

Rating: 10/10 (24 May 2005)

The Rocky Horror comparison is easy, I guess. Why? Well, it's a rock musical with transvestites in it, right? But it's much more than that. If you're a Rocky fan, and you watch Hedwig because you heard they're alike, expecting cult value, you'll probably be disappointed... even though Hedwig has more cult following than you'd expect, and in some places weekly screenings with costumes and audience participation a la Rocky are actually held. But Hedwig is much more than that. Aside from the truly great music (which I'll discuss in a minute) the story of Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a sad tale of surprising depth, encompassing loneliness, betrayal, sexual confusion and identity crises as well as a bit of simplistic but kindly treated Platonic philosophy, with a brilliant ending that leaves many question marks and is good for hours of debate and discussion.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch is certainly not, as some reviewers point out, a niche film to be enjoyed only by homosexuals - though I imagine you'd probably have some problems with it if you're particularly homophobic or conservative. As long as you're open-minded, Hedwig (meaning both the film and the character) has the power to appeal and to move everyone; I haven't seen the stage version - Many people say that other actors who played Hedwig were better than John Cameron Mitchell - but John is absolutely electrifying in this role, surprisingly appealing and charismatic, as well as recognizable (which is quite surprising when you're talking about a transvestite glam-rocker from East Germany), and he acts and sings with all his guts. The fact that he is also the writer and the director, I think, really shows and it's for the best; the film is very personal, and you can tell from his acting that the character is all his own. Miriam Shor and Michael Pitt are both amazing in the supporting roles.
Even if all of that doesn't work for you, the music is where the film really stands out, and it's also the biggest point of difference between it and Rocky. While Rocky was created and inspired by the glam rock scene, the music - with maybe a couple of exceptions, like the wonderful and biting 'Sweet Transvestite' - is the stuff of Broadway, or at least Off-Broadway. That's not putting it down; it was intentional. The music on the Rocky Horror Picture Show is for the most part musical parody, pop tunes of sarcasm and wonderful dark humor. The songs on Hedwig are much more serious business, and much more complex, too, and most of them sound like they might have been recorded by David Bowie at the very height of his career. The rockier, harder songs like 'Angry Inch', 'Exquisite Corpse' and the spectacular, show-stopping opener 'Tear Me Down' sound like Ziggy Stardust mixed with Iggy Pop and tossed twenty five years into the future, with heavenly power chords and thundering bass and drums; 'The Origin Of Love' is an amazingly beautiful epic rock ballad with gorgeous lyrics; 'Wig In A Box' is a spectacular pop song which is so catchy it would have made a mega-hit were it released in the 70s; and the closing song 'Midnight Radio' is so classic a power ballad that you'll find your hand immediately reaching for the lighter. The band is fantastic, they have a terrific sound and are all great musicians, but they let Mitchell have all the attention he deserves. By the way, the music used in the shooting is playback as is usually the case in such movies, but John's vocals were recorded live, and it shows in his very emotional and powerful performances that have the feel of a live concert. Also, each song - especially 'The Origin Of Love' and 'Wig In A Box' - is shot as a perfect video clip. The band members, though they are not actors, and hardly talk at all, all look great on film and are pretty funny guys, too.
In conclusion, let's just say it's a great film and get it over with. It's not a trash film, or a cult film, or a gay film. Just a great musical and a great film overall. I dare you not to run and buy the soundtrack after you watch it.