Losing Ground (1982 film)

Last updated

Losing Ground
Losing Ground (2015 poster).jpg
2015 poster
Directed by Kathleen Collins
Written byKathleen Collins
Produced byEleanor Charles
Starring Seret Scott
Bill Gunn
Duane Jones
CinematographyRonald K. Gray
Edited byRonald K. Gray
Kathleen Collins
Music byMichael Minard
Distributed by Milestone Film & Video
Release date
  • June 1982 (1982-06)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$125,000

Losing Ground is a semiautobiographical [1] 1982 American drama film written and directed by Kathleen Collins, and starring Seret Scott, Bill Gunn and Duane Jones. [2] It is the first feature-length drama directed by an African-American woman [3] since the 1920s and won First Prize at the Figueira da Foz International Film Festival in Portugal. [4]

Contents

In 2020, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". [5] [6] [7]

Plot

Sara Rogers is a well-loved philosophy professor who teaches courses on logic. She is married to Victor, a successful painter. [8] To celebrate the sale of one of his paintings to a museum, Victor decides to rent a house for the summer where he can paint. Sara is annoyed at his plan because she wanted to spend the summer in the city researching a paper she is writing on ecstatic experiences and knows that her access to books will be limited in a small town. She feels as though Victor does not value her work in academia compared to his own work as an artist. Nevertheless, after finding a house they both adore she agrees to go with him for the summer.

At the rented house, Victor becomes obsessed with painting local women, befriending one in particular, a Puerto Rican woman named Celia. Jealous, Sara goes back to the city for a few days to act in a student film that one of her students has begged her to participate in. She meets Duke, the filmmaker's uncle, who plays her love interest in the movie and who is immediately attracted to her.

Sara brings Duke up to the rented house, and Victor is immediately jealous of him. Victor is also jealous when his friend and mentor Carlos starts flirting with Celia. In the morning, seeing Victor sexually harassing Celia, Sara grows angry and tells him to stop his flirting in front of her. Leaving him, she talks to her mother saying she feels out of control and on shaky ground, despite being known for her steady, contemplative nature.

Returning to the city, Sara completes her final scenes for the film. Victor goes to find her and arrives to watch in time as her character shoots Duke's character for being unfaithful to her. [9]

Cast

Production

Losing Ground was filmed in New York City and in Nyack, Piermont and Haverstraw in Rockland County, New York. The film had a budget of $125,000. [10]

Response and legacy

Losing Ground did not have a theatrical release, [11] and thus never played outside of the film festival circuit during Collins' lifetime — the director died in 1988 at the age of 46. [12] The film was largely overlooked at that time. In 1983, the Museum of Modern Art screened it as part of a Cineprobe series. [13]

In 2015, the film was restored by the filmmaker's daughter, Nina Collins, and reissued. [10] In the same year, the film screened at Film Society of Lincoln Center, spurring critical and popular interest in the film. [11] Critics raved about the film; Richard Brody of The New Yorker wrote that "had it screened widely in its time, it would have marked film history." [11] A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote that the film "feels like news, like a bulletin from a vital and as-yet-unexplored dimension of reality." [14] In The Stranger , Charles Mudede described the film as being "one of the most important and original American films of the second half of the 20th century." [15]

In 2016, Milestone Films released the film on DVD and Blu-ray. [16]

Losing Ground is currently streaming via the Criterion Channel. [17] [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>All That Heaven Allows</i> 1955 film by Douglas Sirk

All That Heaven Allows is a 1955 American drama romance film directed by Douglas Sirk, produced by Ross Hunter, and adapted by Peg Fenwick from a novel by Edna L. Lee and Harry Lee. It stars Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in a tale about the social complications that arise following the development of a romance between a well-to-do widow and a younger man, who owns a tree nursery. In 1995, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

<i>A Woman Under the Influence</i> 1974 film by John Cassavetes

A Woman Under the Influence is a 1974 American drama film written and directed by John Cassavetes. The story follows a woman whose unusual behavior leads to conflict with her blue-collar husband and family. It received two Academy Award nominations, for Best Actress and Best Director. The Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".

<i>Leave Her to Heaven</i> 1945 film by John M. Stahl

Leave Her to Heaven is a 1945 American psychological thriller film noir melodrama directed by John M. Stahl and starring Gene Tierney, Cornel Wilde, Jeanne Crain, and Vincent Price. It follows a socialite who marries a prominent novelist, which spurs a violent, obsessive, and dangerous jealousy in her. It is based on the 1944 novel of the same name by Ben Ames Williams, adapted by screenwriter Jo Swerling.

<i>Buena Vista Social Club</i> (film) 1999 documentary film by Wim Wenders on Cuban music

Buena Vista Social Club is a 1999 documentary film directed by Wim Wenders about the music of Cuba. It is named for a danzón that became the title piece of the album Buena Vista Social Club. The film is an international co-production of Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Cuba.

<i>Faces</i> (1968 film) 1968 film by John Cassavetes

Faces is a 1968 American drama film written, produced, and directed by John Cassavetes. It is his fourth directorial work. The film, shot in cinéma vérité-style, depicts the final stages of the disintegrating marriage of a middle-aged couple, played by John Marley and newcomer Lynn Carlin. Cassavetes regulars Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel, Fred Draper and Val Avery also star.

<i>Grease</i> (film) 1978 musical romantic comedy film by Randal Kleiser

Grease is a 1978 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Randal Kleiser from a screenplay by Bronté Woodard and an adaptation by co-producer Allan Carr, based on the stage musical of the same name by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. The film depicts the lives of greaser Danny Zuko and Australian transfer student Sandy Olsson, who develop an attraction for each other during a summer romance.

<i>Written on the Wind</i> 1956 film by Douglas Sirk

Written on the Wind is a 1956 American Southern Gothic melodrama film directed by Douglas Sirk and starring Rock Hudson, Lauren Bacall, Robert Stack, and Dorothy Malone. It follows the complicated relationships among dysfunctional family members of a Texas oil dynasty: its alcoholic heir, his wife, his childhood best friend, and his ruthless, self-destructive sister.

<i>The Touch</i> (1971 film) 1971 film

The Touch is a 1971 Swedish romantic drama film directed and written by Ingmar Bergman and starring Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Elliott Gould, and Sheila Reid. The film tells the story of an affair between a married woman and an impetuous foreigner. It contains references to the Virgin Mary and the Holocaust.

<i>Lola</i> (1981 film) 1981 West Germany film

Lola is a 1981 West German drama film directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, the third in his BRD Trilogy, preceded by The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978) and Veronika Voss (1982). It is a loose adaptation of Heinrich Mann's Professor Unrat (1905), which had previously been adapted for Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel (1930).

<i>Smooth Talk</i> 1985 film by Joyce Chopra

Smooth Talk is a 1985 film directed by Joyce Chopra, loosely based on Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" (1966), which was in turn inspired by the Tucson murders committed by Charles Schmid. The protagonist, Connie Wyatt, is played by Laura Dern. The antagonist, Arnold Friend, is played by Treat Williams.

<i>The Cameraman</i> 1928 film

The Cameraman is a 1928 American silent romantic comedy film directed by Edward Sedgwick and an uncredited Buster Keaton. The picture stars Keaton and Marceline Day. The Cameraman was Keaton's first film under contract to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is considered by fans and critics to be one of Keaton's best, and was added to the National Film Registry in 2005 as being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

<i>À Nos Amours</i> 1983 film by Maurice Pialat

À Nos Amours is a 1983 French coming-of-age drama film directed by Maurice Pialat, who co-wrote the screenplay with Arlette Langmann. Starring Sandrine Bonnaire, Pialat and Évelyne Ker, the story follows a 15-year-old girl, Suzanne (Bonnaire), as she experiences her sexual awakening and becomes promiscuous, but is unable to feel love. À Nos Amours won the César Award for Best Film in 1984.

<i>Symbiopsychotaxiplasm</i> 1968 film by William Greaves

Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One is a 1971 American experimental documentary film written, directed, co-produced and edited by filmmaker and documentarian William Greaves. The film is shot and presented in the style of a cinéma vérité documentary, attempting to capture and examine pure reality unhindered by the presence of the cameras all around. It is notable for the inherent layers of metatextual storytelling, with a documentary inside a documentary inside a documentary.

<i>Dance, Girl, Dance</i> 1940 film by Dorothy Arzner

Dance, Girl, Dance is a 1940 American comedy-drama film directed by Dorothy Arzner and starring Maureen O'Hara, Louis Hayward, Lucille Ball, and Ralph Bellamy. The film follows two dancers who strive to preserve their own integrity while fighting for their place in the spotlight and for the affections of a wealthy young suitor.

<i>Shrek</i> 2001 DreamWorks Animation film

Shrek is a 2001 American animated fantasy comedy film loosely based on the 1990 children's picture book of the same name by William Steig. Directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman, it is the first installment in the Shrek film series. The film stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow. In the film, an embittered ogre named Shrek (Myers) finds his home in the swamp overrun by fairy tale creatures banished by the obsessive ruler Lord Farquaad (Lithgow). With the help of Donkey (Murphy), Shrek makes a pact with Farquaad to rescue Princess Fiona (Diaz) in exchange for regaining control of his swamp.

Kathleen Collins was an American poet, playwright, writer, filmmaker, director, civil rights activist, and educator from Jersey City, New Jersey. Her two feature narratives – The Cruz Brothers and Miss Malloy (1980) and Losing Ground (1982) – furthered the range of Black women's films. Although Losing Ground was denied large-scale exhibition, it was among the first films created by a Black woman deliberately designed to tell a story intended for popular consumption, with a feature-length narrative structure. Collins thus paved the way for Julie Dash's Daughters of the Dust (1991) to become the first feature-length narrative film created by a Black woman to be placed in commercial distribution. Influenced by Lorraine Hansberry, she wrote about "African Americans as human subjects and not as mere race subjects" [emphasis in the original].

<i>Minding the Gap</i> 2018 documentary film directed by Bing Liu

Minding the Gap is a 2018 documentary film directed by Bing Liu and produced by Liu and Diane Moy Quon through Kartemquin Films. It chronicles the lives and friendships of three young men growing up in Rockford, Illinois, united by their love of skateboarding. The film received critical acclaim, won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 91st Academy Awards.

Seret Scott is an American actress, director, and playwright, best known for her roles in the films Losing Ground and Pretty Baby, as well as guest appearances on the televisions shows The Equalizer, Miami Vice, and Cosby. She is also known for her theatrical roles on Broadway and the many plays she has directed on national and regional stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robinson Devor</span> American film director

Robinson Devor is an American film director, screenwriter and editor. He is also a film professor at Cornish College of the Arts.

<i>Grease</i> (franchise) American media franchise

The Grease franchise consists of American films and television productions, based on the 1971 musical. The stage production was first adapted for film with Grease (1978), followed by Grease 2 (1982). A prequel titled Summer Lovin' entered development beginning in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ Sterritt, David, "Losing Ground (1982)" (article) TCM.com
  2. ↑ MoMA
  3. ↑ George, Nelson (2004). Post-Soul Nation: The Explosive, Contradictory, Triumphant, and Tragic 1980s as Experienced by African Americans {Previously Known as Blacks and Before That Negroes}. New York: Viking. p. 37. ISBN   0670032751.
  4. ↑ Biography-Kathleen Collins
  5. ↑ McNary, Dave (December 14, 2020). "'Dark Knight,' 'Shrek,' 'Grease,' 'Blues Brothers' Added to National Film Registry". Variety . Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  6. ↑ 'Grease,' 'Shrek' And A Record Number Of Women Directors Join National Film Registry : NPR
  7. ↑ Landrum Jr., Jonathan (December 14, 2020), "Dark Knight, Grease and The Joy Luck Club Inducted Into National Film Registry", Time.
  8. ↑ America's 50 best independent movies|AV Club
  9. ↑ "Losing Ground (1982) with Julie Dash Q&A", July 31, 2015. UCLA Film and Television Archive.
  10. 1 2 Obenson, Tambay (April 9, 2020). "Stream of the Day: 'Losing Ground' Was Not Only Ahead of Its Own Time, but Ours as Well". IndieWire. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  11. 1 2 3 Brody, Richard (January 30, 2015). "Lost and Found". The New Yorker. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  12. ↑ Hoberman, J. (April 15, 2016). "'Losing Ground' Meditates on Art as It Examines a Marriage in Peril". The New York Times.
  13. ↑ Ramanathan, Geetha (2022). Kathleen Collins : The Black Essai Film. Edinburgh University Press. OAPEN. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474440707. Page 4. Accessed December 26, 2023.
  14. ↑ Scott, A. O. (February 5, 2015). "Peeling Back the Layers of Black Indie Film". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  15. ↑ Mudede, Charles (June 10, 2015). "Losing Ground: On the Nature of Relationships and Aesthetics". The Stranger. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  16. ↑ Brody, Richard (March 28, 2016). "The Front Row: "Losing Ground"". The New Yorker. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
  17. ↑ Lattanzio, Ryan (June 4, 2020). "Criterion Lifts Paywall to Stream 'Daughters of the Dust' and More Black Films for Free". IndieWire. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  18. ↑ A Legacy and a Landmark - The Criterion Channel
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.