What is it about?
The article examines why the film Dallas Buyers Club (Jean–Marc Vallee, USA, 2013) sits uneasily with contemporary transliterate (Ford 2014, 2016) audiences and the representational issues with the character of Rayon (Jared Leto) in relation to the establishment of a HIV medication 'buyers club' in mid–1980s USA.
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Why is it important?
This article contributes to the growing body of literature on trans cinema and is the first film review published in a scholarly journal to examine Dallas Buyers Club.
Perspectives
The film Dallas Buyers Club created a deep impression and sat very uneasily in my mind when I attended the Australian Premiere of the film in Sydney in 2014. This was just before the Academy Awards of that year and the film had generated quite an industry 'buzz' around the lead (Matthew McConaughey) and supporting actor (Jared Leto) performances. Simultaneously, the performance of the trans character Rayon by Jared leto was gaining criticism around the world from within the transgender community. This article was written to present these views – that were not being heard, when Leto won an Oscar for the role. As a film scholar, I could also see a clear pattern within the film being repeated from early Hollywood, of the 'Fallen Woman' genre, being translocated onto the trans body.
Dr. Akkadia Ford
Southern Cross University
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The Dallas Buyers Club
, TSQ Transgender Studies Quarterly, February 2017, Duke University Press,
DOI: 10.1215/23289252-3711601.
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