100 Men

100 Men is a thought-provoking 2017 documentary that reflects the evolution of gay identity through the personal lens of New Zealand film director Paul Oremland. This autobiographical piece skillfully weaves Oremland's personal experiences with an archive of LGBTQ+ history, presenting an engaging exploration of sexual identity through the past four decades.

At its most basic level, 100 Men is structured around Oremland’s recollection of memories from some of the most important men he has had sexual encounters with. However, to label it merely as a catalog of past lovers would be a disservice. Instead, the film uses these personal encounters as a launching pad to chart the significant and tumultuous times that gay communities globally underwent during the last 40 years.

In the film, Oremland purposefully narrates his own personal experiences from adolescence to adulthood, highlighting his various encounters as a gay man traversing his sexual journey. The title, 100 Men, signifies the number of partners Oremland recalls to paint a picture of the broader social, cultural, and political climate for the LGBTQ+ community. The documentary does this gracefully, navigating from laughter to heartbreak, through stories of discovery, love, loss, and sexual liberation.

Throughout the film, Oremland's lovers and friends are traced and interviewed, but it's more complex than mere recollection – these relationships serve as the film’s structure, providing the framework for the director’s personal life as well as exploring the seismic societal shifts experienced by the gay community. These men’s experiences and perspectives augment Oremland's narrative, spinning a multi-faceted tapestry of gay life from the late 70s until now.

Whether he is detailing fleeting encounters, longer-term relationships, or tragic losses, Oremland portrays his subjects, and therefore the times they lived in, with equal measures of sensitivity and frankness. Though humor and raw honesty, Oremland brings the audience onto a journey that is at times light-hearted, somber, and deeply introspective.

Another crucial element of 100 Men is its historical context. The film spans from the late 20th to the early 21st century, thus encompassing several pivotal periods for the gay community. Oremland canvasses periods of New Zealand history when homosexuality was still criminalized, incorporating historical footage that reminds modern audiences of earlier, less enlightened times. The film also reflects upon the liberating freedom of the sexual revolution, the heartbreak of the 1980s AIDS crisis, to the fight for marriage equality.

100 Men is also a filmic globe-trotter. Oremland is a world-citizen, traveling across cities like Sydney, London, and Los Angeles. The director's anecdotes weave in and out of the broader global gay experience, linking together global timelines and showcasing common experiences that unite gay communities worldwide. These stories from different corners of the world effectively underscore the universality of the struggles and triumphs faced by the LGBTQ+ community.

As such, 100 Men is a profound commentary on social change and acceptance. The growth in Oremland’s personal liberation is directly proportional to the broader social attitudes toward homosexuality, thus depicting personal transformation alongside societal one. With stigmatization and oppression shrinking gradually, the evolving landscape of acceptance and visibility of gay relationships clearly emerges.

On a more personal level, 100 Men effectively explores the human intricacies of love and intimacy. The film delightfully delves into the transient nature of romantic relationships and the enduring emotional impressions they leave behind, irrespective of their lifespan. It's an homage to past relationships and fleeting encounters that have impacted Oremland's life, shaping his identity and world-view.

In a nutshell, 100 Men is a vivid, insightful social study packed in a personal memoir directed and experienced by Paul Oremland. With a generous dose of humor, brutal honesty, and emotional sensitivity, Oremland successfully provides audiences a valve through which they can observe the variegated experiences of the gay community. The film's very personal approach creates a raw and intimate viewing experience that effectively navigates the intersections of personal history, sexual identity, and social change.