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The Toilers and the Wayfarers
by Picture This
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$24.95 |
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$22.49 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. |
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DVD
Wolfe
Publisher: Picture This
Format: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
Actors: Christine Ayers, Daniel Ayers, Mischy Ayers, Douglas Blacks, Scott Bukowski
Coming-of-age drama about two teenage boys who run away from their small, conservative Midwestern town to become street hustlers in Minneapolis.
A modest knockoff of My Own Private Idaho, The Toilers and the Wayfarers rests heavily on the well-sculpted shoulders (and more) of its young hero, Dieter (Matt Klemp). Dieter and his friend Phillip (Andrew Woodhouse) are outcasts in the German-American town of New Ulm, Minnesota. Phillip, who knows that he's gay, runs away to Minneapolis. Dieter starts to hang out more with Udo (Ralf Schirg), a recent immigrant from Germany who's a bit of a boozer and a loose cannon. The two of them also flee New Ulm for the big city, where Dieter discovers that Phillip has become a street hustler. But Dieter has also discovered his own sexuality, and the two friends become lovers. Grainy black-and-white cinematography gives The Toilers and the Wayfarers a striking look. The script meanders a bit but has a forthright charm, much like its star. --Bret Fetzer
| Customer Reviews: |
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| Independent gay cinema at its best |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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THE TOILERS AND THE WAYFARERS is an endearing and provocative teen love/coming of age/coming out tale set in 1990s Minnesota. It's centered around the very beautiful protagonist Dieter and two of his friends - one of them being Phillip, a longtime school mate who has, at least at the beginning, deep feelings for Dieter.
Ultimately a moving and sweet (or, perhaps more accurately, bittersweet) treatment, the great cinematography and black-and-white processing are perfect for its often bleak narrative and settings (which are given occasional comic relief by Dieter's newer friend Udo, who just immigrated from Germany).
When Dieter and Phillip - with a sudden kiss - very physically discover each other's gayness early in the story, that scene - with its outdoor setting - will take your breath away by the depth of its seeming simplicity. Your heart will skip a beat in empathy as Phillip tells Dieter how "beautiful" he is even though Dieter is not quite ready to admit his own gayness.
Phillip then totally comes out and runs away from their small town because of Dieter's denial. The beautiful boy's subsequent search for Phillip and for the truths that are hidden in Dieter's own heart form the basis for most of the rest of the film.
Though indeterminate endings are often good for us in that they make us use our imaginations, I was a tad disappointed here in having to deal with the unknown futures of Phillip, Udo and - most especially - Dieter. Still, upon my first viewing ten or fifteen years ago, I totally opened MY heart to these 3 boys and it remains open to them now - many years after the movie was originally released on VHS.
I love this movie.
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| Coming of Age in Minnesota |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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The Toilers and the Wayfarers"
Coming of Age in Minnesota
Amos Lassen
Last night I rewatched "The Toilers and the Wayfarers". It had been awhile since I watched it and I was in the mood for something that I had remembered enjoying. I thoroughly enjoyed it again. It is different and has qualities that newer films have not been able to capture.
We follow three young gay teenagers as they come of age in a small Minnesota town. Dieter, Phillip and Udo become friends in a very unusual way and the boys are all very different. One is a young alcoholic who is also a lay about serves as the catalyst for the self-realization that the other two are gay. Another guy moves to the city and becomes a hustler and the other follows, ending up selling his body as well. Having been rejected by their parents, the boys who are both young and without skills, have nothing and no one to turn to.
Keith Froelich, the director, manages to successfully captures growing up gay beautifully. Minneapolis represents to the boys a chance to be who they are and a haven. Filmed in black and white, the movie emits a feeling of loneliness and despair, the same feelings the boys were having when they realized that going to a large city was the only way they could deal with themselves. It is very difficult to be gay in a small town, especially since the boys were double minorities---gay and of German heritage. When they went to the city they had the change to really be who they felt they were. Dieter, who had been somewhat homophobia (denying his own sexuality to himself), turns out to be a hustler and finds peace. His spiraling downward morality induces us to think about his situation.
The movie is sincere and earnest even if it is a bit uneven. There are moments of comedy but by and large this is a depressing look at the way boys must deal with their sexuality. This movie is definitely worth a watch. However, it was made in 1995 at a time when gay cinema was beginning to come into its own. It is nowhere near a slick production but it is an interesting look at coming of age.
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| A smart little film, with an eye to pleasing the viewer |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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The filmmaker's artsy choice of black and white film works, though we might wonder how it might have looked in the customary full color. I have come to conclude that black and white film used nowadays is an affectation meant to convey the impression of high art.
Dialogue consists of 50% German and 50% English, though with the subtitles, language poses no barrier. Actually, the character's German-American heritage adds exotic spice, a new wrinkle to the by-now familiar genre of gay hustler movies.
I should clarify that "Wayfarers" is not so much about hustling's lurid aspects than it is the realistic story of a teen runaway, Dieter, physically an archetypal Aryan youth, personally an insightful, gentle young man, if rebellious towards his cold father. He has two friends, the older of which is Udo, a loser alky, though not unappealing, gentle and dumb and little fluent in English. Udo's orientation has little bearing on events, other than prejudicing his elders against him, and he might as well have been straight for the purposes of the movie. Dieter's younger buddy Phillip's effeminate manners may repel, but his good looks and candid love for Dieter win us over in the end. Possibly, the script favors him with better lines, but whatever the reason, the actor who plays Phillip, Andrew Woodhouse, shines the brightest in this film for the extra "oomph" with which he delivers his lines, his expressive eyes always searching, his face animated with feeling. I should like to see more movies with this new (to me) actor.
"Wayfarers" neither descends into an obvious morality lesson nor gratuitous eroticism, though rest assured, you will be awarded your expected ration, almost entirely of Dieter, including a full-body rear, a flaccid frontal, and, what is quite unusual in modern films, a lengthy, bare, otk spanking scene where Dieter is punished by his German father. For the sake of art and beauty alone, though not necessarily for profundity or dramatic content, I would recommend this as an addition to your collection.
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| A Beautiful Coming of Age Saga Set in Minnesota |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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I loved this film. It was different, unique, and held my interest for all 75 minutes. Filming in black and white always adds that independent touch. I may be a bit bias (since I live in St Paul MN), as the film was set in New Ulm Minnesota, and is filmed on location in Minneapolis - scenes on and around Hennepin Avenue, including one outside the Gay 90's, once but no longer an institution in the gay clubs of the Twin Cities.
The Story: We follow the plight of 3 young (and likely gay) teens coming of age in a small rural Minnesota town. Dieter, Phillip and Udo (who arrives from Ulm Germany to live with his Aunt, who soon dies) become pals in the most unusual of ways. Eventually, Phillips ends up on the streets of Minneapolis, and Dieter and Udo are left to contend with family conflict in New Ulm. Suffice to say, I'll need to visit New Ulm one day. The film eventually leads us to Minneapolis where Dieter and Phillip reunite, and passions flare as the two deal with lust, love, hustling and survival. Udo is pretty much out of the storyline at this point. I can't say much more without leading you towards the ending.
What I Liked: I don't think the film ever developed a "time period", so one must judge based on cars, and other factors. I would say the film, originally released in Theaters in 1997, is set in the early to mid 80's. Though the word AIDS is never uttered, we are left to wonder what will become of our boys from New Ulm, outcast from their families. Hustling for sex in the 80's was not a good thing (is it ever actually). The film is mostly serious, with some humor (mostly thanks to Udo) and is primarily in English, though several scenes, especially early, are in German with English subtitles, which for me, just adds to the film. A nice collection of DVD extras too.
What I Didn't Like: Nothing really, I thoroughly enjoyed this film and will keep it on my collection. It is a solid 4 and since I cannot think of any negatives, I am going to give it a 5.
Final Word: I loved the West St Paul tow truck, the Minneapolis night street scenes at dusk in black and white - and the German humor of Udo. The storyline is tender and heartfelt, and the young actors are stunning in all regards. A great film, go see it.
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| Art, form and grace |
| Customer Rating: 4 out of 5 |
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This was a walk off of the beaten path. It's filmed in black and white with a mix of subtitles and English. It was rather well done and an enjoyable way to spend an evening. This is a very sexy film without any detailed sex. It's done so well that it's better than seeing the detailed act, it allows for you to fill in the gaps. It gives you a wonderful story and great acting from the lead. It was well worth the cost and I got much more than I expected. The lead is very convincing as a fresh, unsoiled young man in a town that hold no hope for growth. You see him transform before you're eye's as he discovers the reality of what waits outside the small town, on the path he has to travel. This is a tastefully sexual and seductive film that will remind you of what it was to be young and unsoiled, it will excite you're senses and leave you pondering what will happen to him now?
Not all the actors turned in great work so I felt four stars was fair. It's worth it for the lead. His acting was great and he looked splendid, as you will see for yourself.
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