This is a beautiful period piece. Even though the direction is uneven (but gets better in the last half) it carries a powerful message which still has meaning 3 decades later. It has less sex than the series "Queer as Folk",or cable "Adult Movies", yet still communicates this aspect of gay relationships. The surprising thing when viewed from an historical perspective, is that society's attitudes toward diversity have changed little and gay people are still struggling with the problems presented in this movie. An additional plus, is that it deals with the difficulties facing all human relationships, whether gay or heterosexual. A must see film.