The Current
A magazine of film culture past and present, with new articles, interviews, and videos published every day
Recent Articles
How Edward James Olmos Brought a New Historical Authenticity to the Western
The star and producer of The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez made a trailblazing intervention in an iconically American genre, creating an indelible portrait of a Latino American hero.
What Damien Chazelle Learned from Vérité
The Oscar-winning director talks about drawing inspiration from the intimacy and naturalism of the documentary masterpiece Chronicle of a Summer.
Working Man Blues in Cleveland
The Cleveland Museum of Art salutes the late Italian master Ermanno Olmi with a screening of Il posto, a touching and wisely funny look at the trials of work.
Richard Haines Gets Messy with Tom Jones
When we asked the beloved fashion illustrator to work on our cover for Tony Richardson’s Tom Jones, he delivered a playful look that matches the film’s modern sensibility.
The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez: A Cinematic Corrido
Reimagining the story of a Mexican American folk hero, this revisionist western ushered in a new era in both Chicano and independent filmmaking.
When Actors Do Double Duty
From Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers to Kazuo Hasegawa in An Actor’s Revenge, performers who multitask as several characters in a single film tap into the essential uncanniness of cinema itself.
Moscow on the Hudson
World War II tears a young couple apart in the Palme d’Or–winning drama The Cranes Are Flying, playing on Sunday at Bard College.
Paradise Found: Il Cinema Ritrovato
An annual destination for cinephiles from around the world, this film festival in Bologna is a magical place to discover the richness of cinema’s past.
Claire Denis’s Closet Picks
The great French director talks about her formative experiences with the work of Carl Theodor Dreyer and gets wistful about Ingmar Bergman’s Summer with Monika.
The Sprightly Civil Servant: Norman McLaren at the National Film Board of Canada
Can creative genius flourish on the federal dime? Animator Norman McLaren’s remarkably innovative, government-funded films suggest it can.
Video
Spotlight
Keeping Score
From melodic theme music to boundary-pushing soundscapes, the wide-ranging art of film scoring takes the spotlight in this selection of articles and videos.
