A film about modern left Germans adopting the culture of extreme left-wing movements of the 1970s. The female leader of the Raspberry Reich, Gudrun, forces her straight male followers to have sex with each other to prove t... more »heir mettle as authentic revolutionaries. From the outrageous and provocative director Bruce LaBruce (HUSTLER WHITE, SUPER 8 ½), the film premiered at this year?s Sundance Film Festival.« less
"If you are into hardcore lefty politics, punk rock and hot boy on boy action this film is for you!!! My girlfriend and I LOVED it! We had to go home and have sex after seeing it. "The revolution is my boyfriend!" ."
Out of the bedrooms and onto the streets
David Henderson | Melbourne, Australia | 03/22/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This film is brilliant. If you know anything of how ridiculous revolutionary left political groups tend to be and are interested in how (gayish) sex can help to show up the madness - this is the film for you. The acting is woeful, but that's not the point, in fact i think it's almost deliberately bad. the storyline is loosely based on the real events of the Red Army Faction in 1970s Germany except that it's all viewed through a comic gay prism. "Heterosexuality is the opiate of the masses" and "put your marxism where your mouth is" consist some of the clever gay-ified revolutionary slogans littered throughout the film.
Bruce La Bruce has showed his true genius here. whilst pushing an interesting political point about the left he maintains the tongue firmly in the cheek.
"
Let's talk about Political Porn
The Pony | Chile | 09/28/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"i saw this film in Greece, and i'm sure that the American version is probably a little softer than the Europeon (original cut). But i'm not too sure. This film is fantastic! i cant stress that enough. the cinematagraphy... and just the overall satirical and witty premise of the film is worth watching. I think im going to make a t-shirt that says: "Masturbation is Counter-Revolutionary!" This movie is so smart..."
Sex, Satire and Politics
Amos Lassen | Little Rock, Arkansas | 05/13/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
""The Raspberry Reich"
Sex, Satire and Politics
Amos Lassen and Cinema Pride
In 2004 Bruce LaBruce made "The Raspberry Reich" and it was way ahead of its time. He gives us political commentary under the guise of hard core porn. I have always admired LaBruce's work but I had no idea that the sex scenes in this film would be quite so graphic. With that said, let's have a look at the film. The cast is very good looking in an odd sort of way and there is a good deal of comedy in the film as well as a lot of food for thought. The characters are over-the-top revolutionary and make very strong political statement. It is interesting how porn and politics interweave with so little effort. If you are one of those people who can look at hard core porn artistically and intellectually, you will undoubtedly enjoy this film. It is like a big stew of porn, politics, music, humor and satire in one big stew pot. The result is a very bold piece of film making. It is an outstanding effort in underground film. It annoys, agitates and repulses but it is audacious and creative and should be seen by every serious filmgoer.
"The Raspberry Reich' glamorizes "terrorist chic". A group of virile young men under the leadership of a woman kidnap the son of a wealthy man in order to draw attention to the group. The female leader wants to crush any ideas that society at large considers normal, including heterosexuality. Here is where the gay subplot takes over. The young men were heterosexual but to go against the regime they practice homosexuality. It is also here that the graphic sex begins. Unfortunately with the amount of sex going on, the theme of the film was quite lost and everything in the film also went wild and over the top.
If you are squeamish then you should avoid this film by all means. Graphic gay sex abounds in this homo-erotic dark comedy about revolution and change. It is a near perfect parody on communist propaganda where explicitly
stupid leaders cheat their own followers while they clinch political power ad financial gain. Homosexuality is a powerful tool to se to allegorize a revolutionary struggle especially where lust for overpowering the human is a part. But more important is that LaBruce satirizes just about everything in this film. Somewhat reminding me of early John Waters, this movie has something to offend everyone.
"
"Join the Homosexual Intifada!"
OddJay | Oklahoma | 12/25/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Hilarious tongue-in-cheek political satire, glamorizing "terrorist chic", and sexing it up to the extreme. You really need an open mind to enjoy this film. Some people focus on the questionable acting, but I believe it was all intentional. The blending of hardcore sex and politics is brilliant. Only Bruce Labruce could pull it off. It's hilarious and titillating, and yes, the plot is ridiculous, but it's meant to be. That's kind of the point. The ridiculousness only emphasizes the underlying message of the film. Make love, not war. Filled with the best catch lines ever, they stick in your mind long after the film ends. "The revolution is my boyfriend" is one of my favorites. I actually found it on a t-shirt online, so, of course, I had to buy it. Some other favorites are: "Heterosexuality is the opiate of the masses", "Kiss the captive!", "Madonna is counter-revolutionary", "Have you ever kissed a boy? I mean a boy kissing a boy" and many, many more. The opening scene is so pornographic and comical, you can't help but laugh out loud. As Gudrun shouts political propaganda while having sex with her boyfriend, another member listens while masturbating with a gun in the next room, using it as a phallus, and then shooting off the gun as he climaxes. It's great. It, graphically, prepares you for what's to come (so to speak). I'm sure the use of guns as phallic symbols has crossed everyone's mind, but Bruce Labruce, as usual, takes everything way over the edge. It's all over the top, but it's all good. This is definitely not a film for all tastes, but if you're adventurous, you need to pick this up, and "ride it like a pony"."