Based on the novel by Jean Genet. French sailor Querelle arrives in Brest and starts frequenting a strange whorehouse. He discovers that his brother Robert is the lover of the lady owner, Lysiane. Here, you can play dices with Nono, Lysiane's husband : if you win, you are allowed to make love with Lysiane, if you loose, you have to make love with Nono. Querelle looses on purpose. Querelle later mysteriously murders a man, pinning the blame on known homosexual Gil. But when Querelle finds himself in a sexual relationship with Gil, his dangerous circumstance becomes even more complicated.

The first Genet I read, some years ago now. I picked it up by chance not knowing anything about it, and was bowled over by the beauty of the writing and the eroticism. I have found little to match it for the poetry of the erotic passages, the closest perhaps being William burroughs. ( )