It seems that homosexuality is a persistent theme. Symposium needs to be recalled once when associated with a character like the professor. There are no erotic scenes in the film, but there are conversations and readings between homosexuals. The protagonist and his lover establish a relationship more through language (logos). It is a free spiritual lust.
However, this love affair is only the background of the movie. The real theme seems to be between the protagonist and his students. The love between them has nothing to do with sex at all, it is a pure spiritual love relationship. Students get wisdom and answers from teachers, and teachers get passion and vitality from students. Through this unique relationship, a certain virtue is "bred". That is temperance, and the love of wisdom (philosophy). (Note the philosophical potential of that student.) The hero wants to die, but once that unique gestation is accomplished, his death comes as expected. It's kind of like a moth under the hood.
The setting of the heroine is entirely for contrast. The heroine is biological, as she herself said, she has no job, no life, and is completely addicted to the world of tobacco and alcohol. If the conditions are right, she can enjoy more "physical" pleasures. But she met the male host, a different person. It was because of this physical bondage that her husband abandoned her, and her children were not good to her. So she became more and more immersed in the flesh. Check out her fancy dress, Rouge Gouache. She is the real emptiness.
We only now know that the protagonist Professor is the real lover. Her care for the heroine is almost for her, not for herself. He can appreciate all kinds of beauty (Spanish lad, another gay), admire all kinds of beauty (girl secretary), and knows what true love is (see his caressing the puppy and lovingly caring for the heroine) And justifiable (note how he treats neighbor boys and girls differently).
Love is actually a power, it is a desire to have eternal life and to have good things. It takes a bit of philosophy. Only by stripping away the prosperity will you realize what love is. Only in this sense do we know what philosophy, the love of wisdom, means.
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