At first glance, City of Thieves and The 25th Hour seem to tell very different stories — one is historical and set during a time of
great societal upheaval, while the other is contemporary and deals with one man facing his own crimes.
Taboos, fetishes, political
upheaval, and the functions of the human body are some of the
great unifiers of humanity, and Gilbert & George have long offered scathing and unsanitized
societal critique.