Although only 20 minutes long, Un Chant d’Amour, the only film made by Genet, is one of the most important works of gay cinema. Set in a French prison, the film records the erotic dance of death and passion enacted by three inmates and their masochistic guard. The hardened men strive for love and affection in the cold, isolated world of their cells, furtively succeeding at times. There are explicit scenes of masturbation and the threat of violence and retribution hangs heavy. Poetic and lyrical, the film is a startling work on the flowering of homosexuality despite repression by the powers-that-be. The film, which has been rarely seen, suffered decades of censorship including a case in L.A. in which the courts banned the film on grounds of obscenity. Recommended for serious students of cinema only. The film comes on the tape "Gay Classics", together with two other short films.