EISMAYER is a beautiful film that confronts expectations of masculinity in the military
Eismayer
Written and Directed by David Wagner
Starring: Gerhard Liebmann, Luka Dimić, Julia Koschitz, and Anton Noori
Unrated
Runtine: 87 minutes
In theatres October 6, on DVD and Digital October 10
by Katharine Mussellam, Contributor
Stereotypes of masculinity in the military are confronted in the often-beautiful new film Eismayer. Set primarily in the barracks of the Austrian Armed Forces and based on true events, it tells the story of Sergeant Major Charles Eismayer (Gerhard Liebmann) and recruit Mario Falak (Luka Dimić), two men whose love story challenges stereotypes of what kind of man belongs in the military as well as the typical stylistics of a military-set film.
From the start, we are met with the faces of the nervous and vulnerable young men who will make up the class of recruits we follow for much of the film as they wait in line to complete their enlistment. It is not glorifying or demeaning, reminding us of their age and their humanity beyond some manufactured ideal of a soldier. As each take their turn, they are met by the curtness of military orders, but Mario Falak immediately stands out for his almost irreverent responses to the disciplinarian way he is addressed.
When we finally meet Charles Eismayer a bit later, he fits the stereotype many of us are familiar with from other films with military settings: the ruthlessly exacting Sergeant who is unwilling to put up with any nonsense or perceived weakness from his recruits and who pushes them beyond their limits at an emotional toll. But, refreshingly, in this film such a figure has a foil in Mario, who sees how dictatorial Eismayer can be but manages not to be weighed down by his commands, even responding to them playfully.
Also refreshingly, the film gradually peels back the layers of Eismayer’s behaviour to create a well-rounded character, revealing that not only is he a father who behaves quite differently at home, but also that the way he acts towards recruits – which does not always go unpunished by his superiors – is to mask his insecurity with the fact that he is gay. From then on, the film portrays through its cast of characters the ways that stereotypes of homosexuality and masculinity are part of the culture of the military, from remarks in casual conversations to more explosive moments, before gradually challenging them. As Mario and Eismayer realize what they have in common, we see Eismayer’s style of command not only as a way that he hides his own sexuality, but also as a way to encourage Mario to act in at way that will protect him from how others could treat him because he is also gay. Though Mario has his own ideas about that.
As these two characters bond, Eismayer’s story is ultimately a moving one told through a beautiful visual style. In moments when words are not needed, looks shared between characters and artful match cuts tell us as much, if not more, about their emotional states than spoken dialogue can convey. This is complemented by the mise-en-scène and colour scheme of the film. The typical aesthetics of films with military settings, either the field constantly bathed in blinding yellow sunlight or the dismal and perpetual blue wash over images, are foregone here for a broader, but still realistic, colour palette. When the recruits’ training exercises take them outside, we are given the chance to take in the stunning landscapes that surround them. Flares glistening between clouds of mist and mountain peaks set against the sky are just some of the beautiful images to take in here. And the film doesn’t rush us off too quickly from these moments while still keeping the story moving in its runtime of just under 90 minutes. Meanwhile, interior scenes often use fairly tight framing, a visual intimacy that matches the intimacy that develops between the two central characters.
Eismayer’s fear of being open about his sexuality during much of the film is not new to cinema centring gay characters, and the very end of the film uses the familiar onscreen text of many films based on true stories to convey information beyond the filmed drama. But there are still plenty of narrative beats, along with the stylistic choices, that are new and unique to this story, making Eismayer a great addition to the lineage of LGBTQ+ cinema that it now joins. In this era where there is a lot of backlash against those who challenge stereotypes of masculinity and sexuality, this surprisingly tender film is welcome and vital.