Film Reviews / Apr. 24, 2020
The 2017 film Tom of Finland brought the story of the legendary man, considered the founder of leather & BDSM and a big influence on gay culture, to the big screen. Brazilian director Daniel Nolasco, a big BDSM fan, had already showed his ambition in Sr. Raposo (2018); but hisdocumentary feature film Mr. Leather goes one step forward to show the kinkiness of the leather and BDSM communities half a century after Tom of Finland.
Watch Mr. Leather now on GagaOOlala.
Mr. Leather Synopsis
(Image from GagaOOLala)
In the film, Nolasco uses an expressionistic approach to tackle the subject, making it quite different from a typical documentary. The film opens with a man in leather walking in the woods as we suddenly hear a dog barking: another man wearing leather, but puppy-playing. The two watch another pair of men who are in a sailor and leather outfits. They kiss and fondle each other in the bushes and speak to the audience, as they lead them into this “wonderful” world.
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(Image from GagaOOLala)
Before São Paulo held its first Mr. Leather Brazil contest, founder Mr. D and his partner, Barbudo, had already poured 13 years inside the community, but Mr. D quit after feeling betrayed. Babudo then became the only founder of the contest, and naturally the first Mr. Leather. In 2018, the second edition of Mr. Leather was going to take place and Barbudo was ready to pass this important title on to the next leather generation.
Mr. Leather （Image from GagaOOLala)
The four contestants of the second edition do not only compete based on their leather appearances, but also to promote the community's spirit. The first is Deh Leather, the only contestant who had competed in the first Mr. Leather edition. Maoriguy is a man of action and likes to walk his puppy slave through the city. Kake is a tattooed, off-the-charts masculine bear, while Dom PC is the one who draws the line between Leather and BDSM, as he admires both the simplicity of leather-wear and the pleasure in doing BDSM.
Mr. Leather (Image from GagaOOLala)
The one and only Tom of Finland is of course referenced in the film, as the director digitally animates his classic drawings. Additionally, Marlon Brando and James Dean’s unfaded images from the big screen are also incredibly influential to the leather gay community. The film is not a simple walkthrough of the story of the founders and contestants of Mr. Leather, but a deep dive into their lives, showing the audience what leather and BDSM actually mean to them. Dominant/submissive relationships, leather wear, sex and nudity, all meet in this documentary.
Mr. Leather （image from GagaOOLala)
When it comes to the privacy within the leather & BDSM community, the two parties stand their ground. In the finals, the four contestants are asked about their self-identifications, their awareness of sexual diseases, and the fight for equal-rights, showing that to win Mr. Leather, you need more than just looks. However, when it comes to the physical appearance contest, the competition goes right back to the original intention behind leather culture: sexual liberation.
Watch Mr. Leather now on GagaOOlala.
Official trailer:
