Blue Jean

Blue Jean’s focus on a teacher fearing persecution for her sexuality is a theme that remains frustratingly prescient in today’s world. But the movie itself is a period piece. As someone who wasn’t alive in the 1980’s, it stands out as a depiction of that time. For Blue Jean is here to remind you that the 1980’s wasn’t all neon, ridiculous fashion and synth music. For many people, it was a bleak, depressing time. I mean, this is almost 30 years before the invention of the Nintendo Switch! Dark times indeed. Especially if you were a queer person living in Thatcher’s England.

In 1988, PE teacher Jean is generally succeeding at living a double life. At her job she’s quiet but friendly. In her home life, she frequents a gay bar and has a more radically queer girlfriend named Viv. Though even with her many precautions, Jean is constantly on alert that someone might use her sexuality to destroy the life she’s built. Things get more complicated when Jean sees a student from her school named Lois at the gay bar. Instead of seeing Lois as friend or kin, Jean perceives Lois as a threat to her secrets.

One of the most striking themes in Blue Jean is the way that living in a repressive society sows discord instead of community among the marginalized group. Jean’s response to the young, queer Lois is to distance herself as much as possible. And when it comes down to it, throw Lois under the bus for her own safety. It’s heartbreaking to watch, but Blue Jean also does well in depicting why Jean felt the need to do this. The attitude of fear and secrecy queer people lived under made it difficult to foster community. The possibility of someone using your sexuality against you was a constant risk. So, Jean sees Lois as a threat. On top of every other form of violence and oppression done to the LGBTQ* community, we have this too; a lack of support within the community because of how helpless, isolated and persecuted members feel.

Ultimately, the story of Blue Jean is nothing particularly new. Teachers is a fairly common profession to include in a queer narrative as it was and is a prominent debate about whether it’s “appropriate.” While the story itself is nothing new, that doesn’t mean this is a poor film. Quite the reverse. Writer/director Georgia Oakley maintains admirable focus, all while expanding the narrative of Jean’s life beyond her sexuality. This is one of the better queer teacher movies I’ve seen. In addition to her focus, the atmosphere Oakley creates in the film is admirable. True to the title, the film is steeped in cool, blue tones which makes much of the film feel appropriately melancholy.

It is ultimately infuriating that so much of the rhetoric in this film taking place in 1988 remains fairly common today. Blue Jean is great at showing at once how far the LGBTQ* community has come and how much work still must be done to reach equality. All of this is done with a tight, focused narrative, assured directing and solid performances from all its lead actors.

Overall rating: 7.9/10

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