"Behind the Candelabra" (USA, 2013)

The summer of 1977.Liberace (Michael Douglas), a pianist of extraordinary talent and a flamboyant entertainer known for his extravagant stage costumes, captivates audiences with his performances. One day, a handsome young man named Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) visits him. The two quickly fall in love, beginning a secret and passionate relationship.

To Liberace, Scott becomes his sole emotional support. To Scott, Liberace is a generous patron offering him a dreamlike life of luxury. Having grown up separated from his biological parents and raised in foster care, Scott seeks in Liberace the paternal affection he has always longed for. The idea of adoption is even floated.

Liberace sends Scott to a plastic surgeon and has him undergo cosmetic procedures. But within this dependent relationship between the wealthy man and his kept lover, tensions arise: the patron’s desire to possess collides with the young man’s wish for romantic freedom. Struggling with jealousy and possessiveness, Scott eventually falls into cocaine addiction, even selling Liberace’s jewelry to pay for drugs.

This film portrays the life of Liberace, a showbiz icon who dazzled audiences in Las Vegas and influenced stars such as Elvis Presley and Lady Gaga. Liberace died of AIDS in 1987 at the age of 67.The title, Behind the Candelabra, refers to “behind the branched candlestick,” though the meaning of the candlestick remains ambiguous. A hematologist friend once said that regardless of whether AIDS is contracted through contaminated blood products or homosexuality, the suffering of the patients is the same.

Behind the Candelabra

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Distributed by Tohokushinsha Film Corporation