New on the Current: Nathan Lane in the closet, cinema’s first lesbian kiss, and a terrifying Robert Ryan performance

By rahmat hidayat

Monday, June 21, 2021

Plus: a close look at the groundbreaking work of early Hollywood's leading female auteur, Lois Weber.

The Current HIGHLIGHTS JUNE 20, 2021 A roundup of recent articles from Criterion's online magazine. Happy reading!

Lust and Liberation The Revolutionary Power of One of Cinema's First Lesbian Love Stories. In Leontine Sagan's groundbreaking queer classic Mädchen in Uniform, female camaraderie and erotic longing unite a group of schoolgirls against a despotic headmistress. By Amanda Lee Koe READ MORE For another exploration of politically trenchant queer cinema, check out Michael Koresky's new essay on Todd Haynes's Poison, now playing in the latest edition of the Criterion Channel's Queersighted series.

The World According to Lois Weber Art With a Conscience from Early Hollywood's Leading Female Auteur. The silent-cinema trailblazer was a meticulous visual stylist whose films were infused with a passion for progressive values. By Pamela Hutchinson WATCH Five of Weber's films are now playing in a series on the Criterion Channel.

Nathan Lane's Closet Picks The Emmy- and Tony-winning actor stopped by our offices to regale us with stories and stock up on his favorite films. WATCH From Claire Denis to Kim Cattrall to Flying Lotus, some of our favorite artists and performers have joined us in the closet over the years. Dive into previous videos in the series on the Current.

The Soul of a Brute Robert Ryan's Unnerving Performance in Caught. Postwar Hollywood's quintessential heavy wields his signature mix of brutality and neurosis to embody an abusive husband in Max Ophuls's psychological drama. By Mark Asch WATCH A series of Ryan's greatest performances is now playing on the Criterion Channel. Illustrating Flowers of Shanghai Award-Winning Arist Victo Ngai Takes Us Inside Her Process. Her cover image for our edition of Hou Hsiao-hsien's opulent masterpiece combines traditional Chinese figure-drawing styles with a distinctly modern approach to color and composition. By Eric Skillman READ MORE Film scholar Jean Ma explores the power dynamics of courtesan life in her essay for our release of Flowers of Shanghai.

OLDIE BUT GOODIE "I've read that Eisenstein and Rossellini had really big beds because that's where cinema starts for them, on the borderline between being awake and dreaming." —Christian Petzold in an interview published on the Current in 2018. Petzold's latest film, Undine, is now playing in theaters.

THE DAILY Remembering Ned Beatty Tributes to the Late Actor. Best known for his performances in Deliverance, Superman, and Network, Beatty endeared himself to audiences with his ability to hint at deviant intent behind an amiable smile. READ MORE David Hudson takes a look at this year's Cannes Film Festival lineup.

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