Out on Film Review: Carl Bean gets the spotlight in partially-animated doc I Was Born This Way

I Was Born This Way might be the least-animated movie I've ever reviewed on this site. It caught my eye when I was looking at the lineup for Out on Film, a queer film festival in Atlanta that always has a cool line-up. It seems there are two main hooks that are being highlighted to help grab attention for this documentary: a slew of big stars participating, and the use of rotoscope animation for various re-creations in the film. The latter, of course, is why I sought this out.

The title of this doc, directed by Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard, is borrowed from the hit disco song that was also a pivotal gay anthem. I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't heard the song before watching this -- now that I have, it is in my Apple Music library (and on my running playlist). The song serves as a sort of centerpiece that connects the various threads of this film. It's foremost a biographical documentary about Carl Bean, whose version of the titular song was the one that became such a hit. But because it centers on him, it also becomes a film about the AIDS crisis, about intersectional identities, about oppression, and about Lady Gaga. It covers a lot of ground very nimbly, telling its story with clarity and, yes, a good amount of animation.

It's certainly a gift to the filmmakers, and to us viewers, that so many of the key players in this story were able to participate in the film, including Carl himself. He sadly passed away in 2021, but the interview footage the filmmakers got with him is great. He's candid, reflective, and funny, providing so much color and context to the story of his life and the world that was unfolding around and because of him. He talks about how there are many versions of him -- singer, activist, archbishop -- but that he sees them all as just him. One person, complicated and united. A multitude of identities and meanings rolled up into one. Which is nicely reflected in the construction of the documentary, which combines interviews, stock footage, news coverage, animation all to tell this story. No person is just one thing, and this movie really reflects and represents that.

I know some queer people are or have been tired of hearing stories about AIDS. There's sometimes a feeling of "been-there, done-that" or that it's ancient history or that the queer community is more than its darkest time or that we want joyful queer stories. I get all of that, and everyone is entitled to their own opinions about what kinds of stories they want to engage with or hear about. But as for me, I never tire of hearing these stories. And out of all the ground that this film covers, that's the portion that struck me and will stick with me the most. 

If I had to describe Carl Bean after watching this movie, I would say that he was a man who was always ready to rise to the occasion to be what his community needed him to be. And during the AIDS crisis, when resources were scarce, and the focus was largely on white communities, he saw a need for outreach to communities of color, and there he went. This ethos of service extended into his religious work -- he knew that, as a minister, he would be able to visit patients even outside of normal visitation hours, and that he would hold more sway with Black families of patients who might otherwise not want to engage with him. So he became a minister, and then founded a Christian denomination specifically for queer people. He led with love, and always tried to bring healing to people who needed it.

Which is especially inspiring considering his difficult childhood. This is where the film leans most heavily on its animation. As the years go on, there's more actual footage to pull from, so by the end of the movie, the animation is pretty much absent. But for the first third or so of the movie, there's a lot of animated scenes showing Carl's childhood in all its complexity. Being gay back then was hard enough, but even more so when compounded with being Black. There are a few moments in the film that reflect on the absurdity of oppressed communities oppressing in turn (homophobia in the Black community, racism in the gay community, etc.), and that absurdity is something Carl had to navigate his whole life as a Black gay man. He also faced extensive abuse, a stint in a psych ward, and a tragic loss of a parent in his young years. It's a wonder he emerged from it all so full of empathy, and with such a level head on his shoulders.

Throughout this portion of the film, the animation is well-employed, even if it isn't always the best-looking. Rotoscope animation can be a little tricky on the eyes, because it can so easily tip over into uncanny valley territory, which does happen on occasion here. But there are also moments that are handled really artfully and delicately, particularly the scene where Carl's sexual abuse at the hands of an uncle is discussed. The framing of those shots, the tempo of the editing, it all feels very in tune with the gravity of the content.

Instances of animation later are more occasional, just filling little gaps where there wouldn't be an obvious shot to slot in: Carl working at Macy's when he gets a phone call from Motown Records, lying in bed having nightmares, or him in the studio. Arguably, some of these feel like they slot a little more naturally into the overall flow of the film more than the extended animated sequences, which might be blasphemous coming from me on this animation blog.

It's certainly worth mentioning the star power that's involved here. Questlove is on hand to talk about the significance (and frequent sampling) of "I Was Born This Way," which he describes as a Giving Tree in the music community. Billy Porter gets his hands on the song's masters, which includes the lost B-side "Liberation." He sets out to polish that song to a shine. I'm awaiting the release. Dionne Warwick was a friend and ally to Carl, so she's one of the many first-hand participants who chimes in to help tell the story. And Lady Gaga talks about hearing the eponymous song and how it helped inspire her to write her own gay anthem along similar lines -- you guessed it -- "Born This Way."

I didn't know of Carl Bean before watching this movie, but now, I'm so glad to know of his life and work. And god, what a smart choice of a subject for a documentary, because his life encompassed so much, and so the resulting film feels like so much. It's sort of a music doc, sort of a biography, it's historical, it's queer, it's about religion. It's about a lot, because Carl was a lot, and did a lot, and he arguably changed the world in a lot of ways. I'm grateful for his work, and his music. And I'm grateful for this film for the introduction.

I Was Born This Way opens Out on Film in Atlanta on September 25 at 7:00pm EST.