The Current
A magazine of film culture past and present, with new articles, interviews, and videos published every day
Recent Articles
Marianne Faithfull Brings on the Heartbreak in Made in U.S.A
With her a capella take on the Rolling Stones’ “As Tears Go By,” the singer turns a brief moment in one of Godard’s most playful films into a reflection on loss.
Wim Wenders’s Celestial Masterpiece Looks Sharper Than Ever
A new 4K restoration of the immortal city symphony Wings of Desire begins its theatrical run in New York City this weekend.
Hour of the Wolf and From the Life of the Marionettes: The Strength of Surrender
Separated by more than a decade in Ingmar Bergman’s filmography, these two formally masterful dramas uncover the ugliness of male aggression and brutality.
Silent Rapture in Winston-Salem
One of the greatest of all silent films screens at a/perture cinema this Saturday, with a presentation by a Wake Forest University religious-studies professor.
Is Fassbinder’s Working-Class TV Drama Effective as Political Art?
A public-television commission intended to raise class consciousness, Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day inspired heated debates about its political orientation.
Ping Zhu Harnesses the Wild Energy of Tampopo
With her thick, flowing brushstrokes and eccentric sensibility, illustrator Ping Zhu captured the buoyant flavor of Juzo Itami’s “ramen western.”
Shampoo: First as Farce
Seen as a light-hearted farce upon its release, this star-studded comedy by Hal Ashby stands as one of Hollywood’s most prescient portraits of post-Watergate politics.
John Grant’s Top 10
John Grant is an Iceland-based musician whose most recent album, Love Is Magic, is now available via Partisan Records.
The Commentary That Made Home-Video History
Film historian Ronald Haver breaks down one of classic Hollywood’s most iconic action sequences in this clip from our laserdisc release of King Kong.
Crisis and A Ship to India: Bergman in the Making
Two early works by Ingmar Bergman show the Swedish master grappling with the conventions of melodrama, which would go on to influence his later explorations of spiritual torment.
Video
Spotlight
Under the Influence
In this ongoing series of videos, we invite contemporary filmmakers to discuss movies that have had a lasting impact on their work.
