From Macho to Maricón: Challenging Depictions of Male Homosexual Desire in Javier Fuentes-León’s Contracorriente/Undertow

Abstract:Javier Fuentes-León’s 2009 film, Contracorriente/Undertow, received international recognition, accolades, and awards. While the film attempts to be revolutionary—and perhaps at the time of its release, it was—it perpetuates many of the stereotypes that it seemingly attempts to undermine. This essays seeks to challenge homonormative depictions of male homosexuality by analyzing how the film’s male protagonists, Miguel and Santiago, satisfy the common trope of the hyper-masculinized and hyperfeminized gay male that permeates the socio-cultural fabric of Latin America and beyond. The film’s plot presents a narrative of Miguel, a fisherman with a pregnant wife, who has a secret love affair with the painter and community outsider, Santiago. Fuentes-León creates a complex narrative fueled by rumors, stereotypes, and heterosexism, framing a taboo human story as a parable about authenticity. This paper blends visual and textual analysis with feminist and queer theoretical discourses to interrogate contemporary understandings of Contracorriente as well as depictions of gay male figures throughout the visual landscape.