The Current
A magazine of film culture past and present, with new articles, interviews, and videos published every day
Recent Articles
The Devil Is in the Details
During a period when studios gave him carte blanche, Josef von Sternberg created a sublime cinematic language that shrugged off one orthodoxy after another.
The Hope That Fueled Bowling for Columbine
How much can a film turn the tide on American violence? Michael Moore and archivist Carl Deal reflect on the moral urgency that gave rise to one of the most talked-about documentaries of all time.
El Sur: A Complete Incomplete Film
At a time when Spain was trying to leave its past behind, master filmmaker Víctor Erice transported viewers back to the post–Civil War era, examining its traumas through the eyes of a child.
The Dark Side of Peter Lorre in Madison
As part of a series celebrating the work of actor Peter Lorre, the University of Wisconsin–Madison is presenting a screening of Fritz Lang‘s masterpiece M.
A Born Editor: Remembering Françoise Bonnot (1939–2018)
The great French editor talks about growing up in the cutting room and how she became one of Costa-Gavras’s most trusted collaborators.
Bowling for Columbine: By Any Means Necessary
A galvanizing mix of polemic and entertainment, Michael Moore’s look at the American gun obsession is as chillingly relevant today as when it was released.
Mistress of Ceremonies
Marlene Dietrich’s sexually authoritative, coolly insolent persona was the product of meticulous screen craft.
A Sound for Love and Loss: Bo Harwood on A Woman Under the Influence
With just piano and guitar, longtime Cassavetes collaborator Bo Harwood created a score that highlights the melancholy in the director’s acclaimed domestic drama.
Bringing the Grit to Philippine Cinema
For Philippine master Lino Brocka, casting a mix of nonprofessional and professional actors was key to achieving his brand of unvarnished naturalism.
Forbidden Love in Champaign
Douglas Sirk’s All That Heaven Allows screens on Monday as part of a series celebrating some of cinema’s most fiercely independent female characters.
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Spotlight
Celluloid Nightmares
From lab fires to lost reels, bad things happen to good movies. Every restoration has a story behind it, and these are five of the best.
