Vindicated by History: The film did not get a strong critical reception when it was first released, with many critics dismissing it. While it did make money, it wasn't a lot and was only successful due to its small budget. Over the years, critical praise has grown, especially as queer critics began to point out depth that heterosexual critics missed, and by 2017 it was considered enough of a cinematic landmark to get a 4k restoration and a Criterion Collection release.
