The gay prison underworld - The Prince is an explosive homoerotic prison drama set in a repressive 1970s Chilean prison. During a night of heavy drinking, Jaime, a hot-tempered narcissist, suddenly stabs his best friend. He is sent to jail for murder and there, alone and afraid, he comes under the protection of a tough older inmate known as “The Stallion.” The unlikely pair begin a clandestine romance but violent power struggles inside the penitentiary threaten their bond. This searing story of survival at all costs, takes its inspiration from Jean Genet’s Un Chant d’Amour and Fassbinder’s Querelle in its affecting exploration of masculine aggression, conflicting loyalties and pent-up sexual desires.
It is really amazing how this film captures the atmosphere of homoerotism in male dominated spaces (in this instances, the jail). Strong echoes of Genet and Fassbinder. The actors are excellent, esp. the older actor has an uncanny resemblance to Al Pacino. My only complaint: the cinematography was alternatively too dark and too light, taking a bit away from the experience. All the same, this is a must-see.