1991-2000

  • Spike Lee – Malcolm X (1992)

    1991-2000DramaEpicSpike LeeUSA

    One of the most electrifying heroes of the twentieth century receives an appropriately sweeping screen biopic, rich in both historical insight and propulsive cinematic style, courtesy of visionary director Spike Lee. Built around an extraordinary performance from Denzel Washington, Malcolm X draws on the iconic civil rights leader’s autobiography to trace his journey of empowerment, from a childhood riven by white-supremacist violence to a life of petty crime to his conversion to Islam and rebirth as a fearless fighter for Black liberation, whose courage and eloquence inspired oppressed communities the world over. Impeccably crafted by Lee and his closest creative collaborators, and buoyed by commanding performances from Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo, Al Freeman Jr., and others, this is a passionate monument to a man whose life continues to serve as a model of principled resistance.Read More »

  • John Smith – The Waste Land (1999)

    1991-2000ExperimentalJohn SmithUnited KingdomVideo Art

    Quote:
    A personal interpretation of the poetry and letters of T S Eliot. The Waste Land explores the ambiguities of language and space in a scenario built around an anagram.Read More »

  • John Smith – Gargantuan (1992)

    1991-2000ExperimentalJohn SmithUnited Kingdom

    Quote:
    A man uses different words to describe an amphibian as the film evolves.

    Fred Camper, Chicago Reader 2001, wrote:
    London artist John Smith uses light-hearted humour to explore theoretical concerns – Gargantuan, for instance, is both pleasantly silly and acutely conscious of how imagery depends entirely on its framing.

    Elaine Paterson, Time Out 1992, wrote:
    A wonderfully witty example of how to conduct pillow talk with a small amphibian.Read More »

  • Ken Loach – Riff-Raff (1991)

    1991-2000ComedyDramaKen LoachUnited Kingdom

    The story of Stevie, a construction worker, and his girlfriend, an unemployed pop singer, serves to show the living conditions of the British poor class.Read More »

  • Wai-Keung Lau – Gu huo zi: Ren zai jiang hu aka Young and Dangerous (1996)

    1991-2000AsianCrimeHong KongWai-Keung Lau

    Synopsis –
    Nam opens a bar in Wanchai and continues his rise in Hong Kong’s Hung Hing gang. His best friend, Chicken, needs to lie low, so he’s sent to Taiwan to work for Lui, leader of the San Luen gang; there, he falls for the aging Lui’s mistress, Ting Yiu. When Chicken returns to Hong Kong, he finds Nam in a struggle with long time rival, Fai Fat. Then, Lui shows up, demanding that Hung Hing sell him a half interest in their new Macau casino. When Chiang, the Hung Hing boss, wants to think about it, Lui threatens war, Chicken must choose sides, and Ting Yui sets up a meeting. Chicken’s affections, Fai and Nam’s rivalry, Lui’s greed, and Ting’s intentions are on a collision course. (imdb)Read More »

  • Frans van de Staak – Schijnsel AKA Glint (1996)

    1991-2000ArthouseDramaFrans van de StaakNetherlands

    Quote:
    Every scene of the film comprises a dialogue between a man and a woman. The dialogues are fragmentary, in other words, the dialogue in one scene does not tie in with that of the next. In addition there is no development in the relationship between the actor and the actress towards a happy or unhappy ending. The dialogues are not only of substantial interest; it is above all material for the actors. The film balances on the boundary between portraying an intimate relationship between a woman and a man and the intimacy in the acting between the actor and actress. When an actor or actress hardly has any words in a scene, he or she portrays loneliness; when he/she has a monologue, then the attention is focused on speaking the text, on (the reflection about) being an actor.Read More »

  • John Smith – Blight (1996)

    1991-2000ExperimentalJohn SmithUnited Kingdom

    Quote:
    The destruction of a home for the building of a road is captured and contrasted with quotations from the residents.Read More »

  • Harun Farocki – Die Bewerbungen aka The Interview (1996)

    1991-2000DocumentaryGermanyHarun FarockiVideo Art

    “In the summer of 1996, we filmed application training courses in which one learns how to apply for a job. School drop-outs, university graduates, people who have been retained, the long-term unemployed, recovered drug addicts, and mid-level managers – all of them are supposed to learn how to market and sell themselves, a skill to which the term ‘self management’ is applied. The self is perhaps nothing more than a metaphysical hook from which to hand a social identity. It was Kafka who likened being accepted to a job to entering the Kingdom of Heaven; the paths leading to both are completely uncertain. Today one speaks of getting a job with the greatest obsequiousness, but without any grand expectations.” Harun FarockiRead More »

  • Jacques Rivette – Haut bas fragile AKA Up, Down, Fragile (1995)

    1991-2000ArthouseComedyFranceJacques Rivette

    Quote:
    Paris, mid-90s, summer. Louise has just left the clinic having woken up from a five-year-long coma, and finds she inherits a house from her aunt as well a family plot involving her father. Ninon is a petty thief who begins a job as a courier, but fears she has been caught stealing by Roland, a set decorator who works across the street. A friendship between Ninon and Louise forms through Roland. Meanwhile, Ida, a librarian, searches for her birth mother. Paris transforms such that life becomes a musical.Read More »

Back to top button