Tongues Untied (1989) User Reviews

brother to brother, brother to brother...

[framptonhollis · 8/10 · 14 February 2017]

I must admit, this Valentine's Day I have certainly picked unconventional romance movies to watch...

"Tongues Untied" plays out like a visual poem, featuring monologues and images dealing with black homosexuality, all edited to create a truly powerful portrait to a little discussed subject matter.

The main thing this film has going for it is its style. As I previously stated, its like a visual poem. Its a rhythmic and emotional odyssey through the lives of these people who, especially in 1989, have been represented very little in the media. At times, it gets a little to SJW and over the top, but their rage is somewhat valid. In the late 80s, being black and gay was much harder than it is in the mid 2010s.

A powerful gay black documentary

[nelandquinten · 8/10 · 2 November 2012]

Marlon Riggs' documentary "Tongues Untied" left a brief, but definitive impact on me. This documentary about gay African-American men reveals several poets, preachers, activists, and scholars. There is no narration in "Tongues Untied". Instead, all the dialogue is spoken in philosophical rhymes and poems. The documentary showcases, and even full-on exposes its praise for the black homosexual lifestyle, in an artistic and flamboyant fashion.

As a filmmaker myself, I was drawn into how Riggs was able to explain the persecution of homosexuals without having a sit-down interview, and instead uses stand-up performances, poetry, and symbolism to prove his point. From the confines of a gay black man's isolation and loneliness, to the exciting experiences of the San Francisco "Castro" district, Riggs took the audience to some fascinating, and often times deplorable world that gay black men face every day of their lives.

I was a little annoyed by the pacing of the film. There were some parts that had me yawning. But "Tongues Untied" sends a powerful message of tolerance, culture, and tradition from a filmmaker who is sadly no longer with us. This documentary captured my attention, and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Very intense poetic doc about gays, focus on black men

[blank-386-399214 · 8/10 · 7 February 2023]

If you like Paris is Burning, you'll enjoy this movie.

If you don't like poetry, (as I certainly don't), please go into this loving Paris is Burning, and respect the efforts of historical, underground, artistic gay documentation.

I skipped the first 5-10 minutes because the chanting/rhythmic hymns got disorienting and annoying. There's another musical segment near the 0.75 mark of the movie that was skipped over.

Regardless, this film was VERY special to watch at first viewing. Humorous, descriptive, thoughtful wordplay and poetry, really, really exceptional, beautiful prose.

Willi Ninja dances in this movie too!!

The only revolution

[Polaris_DiB · 10/10 · 5 November 2007]

In the late 80s and early 90s, a lot of experimentation occurred with movies that attempted to speak out for "marginalized voices", a media theory that concerns the disruption of the upper-middle class heterosexual white man with a wife and 2.5 kids motif of our Western hegemony. Most of these movies, I'm sorry to say, are only interesting to the audiences of which it reflected, and some of them went as far as to create reversal stereotypes by pretty much assuming that upper-middle class heterosexual white men with wives and 2.5 kids should feel guilty or punishable for what they've done to these "subjugated classes".

Unfortunately for Marlon Riggs, his documentary "Tongues Untied" is part of the genre, but fortunately, his is a beautiful and poetic creation of it. "Tongues Untied" is about being black and homosexual, which is in fact a complicated thing because being homosexual is especially difficult for someone who is black, as one of the unfortunate side-effects of our history between "blacks and whites" (arbitrary, and yet designed) is the feeling of emasculation. Thus, being a gay black man means that one is torn along a racial standpoint and a sexuality standpoint, and that the one also causes conflict with the other.

Thus, when initial audiences were offended that Riggs didn't lay more blame on some particular aspect of society during the movie's release in festivals, they weren't getting the point. Riggs' creation is the projection of himself, his desires, history, motivation, fear, anger, love, sexuality, culture, and humor, onto the screen, and other standpoints or antagonistic standpoints would only serve to destroy the wholeness he finally built within himself. Tongues Untied's theme of "black men loving black men is the only revolutionary experience" doesn't mean that if we want a new revolution, black men need to go out and start having sex with each other, it's that that's Rigg's revolutionary thought for himself--it could have been easier stated "Being yourself is the only revolutionary experience", except that that approach is way too PC and vague to account for the unification of Riggs' experience. The whole film, then, is an attempt to build towards that thesis.

--PolarisDiB

Black men loving black men is a revolutionary act

[sandover · 15 March 2010]

"Black men loving black men is a revolutionary act." It is also a documentary act which is straightforward, polemic, complex, with heart, with gusto. With diction that fights affliction, this is its basic weapon of beauty, as if its undercurrent was "beauty is no booty for the enemy".

For me, a gay white male from Greece, this documentary, coming from my oblique point of view (oblique because being gay in Greece, despite its, rather ironic, pederastic tradition, is quite apart with the issues and the culture of the film, yet the sense of segregation and tradition rings familiar), descriptively it feels like a star-crossed breed of gospel and guerrilla video art.

Its veins are pounding deep; being a writer and translator, listening to such keen, sexy, visceral rhythms by the imposing figure of Essex Hemphill, was a revelation with an obsessive glow.

And Marlon Briggs' narration, spacious and incisive, unflinching and embracing, with an amazing sense of building-up, leaves me bewildered, more so for appearing somewhat tuned down at first.

For anyone liking the feeling of words doing as they want to do and as they have to do, as Gertrude Stein admirably put it, this is a definite watch.

Love it however

[dynasti123-919-825407 · 7/10 · 18 May 2017]

I love the film... I'm just really over gay films that always have to drag AIDS/HIV in it... like it is the way of a life of a homosexual. And it must of been hard back then.. this films give people hope. Hope that we may overcome all the racists shadow that over shadow us and the way American people have condemned itself not to become nothing more but followers of others thoughts

'I like the feeling of words doing as they want to do and as they have to do' - Gertrude Stein

[gradyharp · 10/10 · 14 July 2015]

Documentaries, well timed, make a difference. Especially when they are of the quality of this 1989-91 documentary about black men loving black men. TONGUES UNTIED was written and directed and narrated by Marton Riggs who with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap. The film closes with obituaries for victims of AIDS and archival footage of the civil rights movement placed next to footage of Black men marching in a gay pride parade.

The film is a lyrical exploration of black gay identity in the United States. Made during a historical period marked by the onset of the AIDS crisis, the works navigate desire, love, loss, and mourning to engage and question sexual and political repression, expression, and deviation.

Riggs's stories are fierce examples of homophobia and racism: the man refused entry to a gay bar because of his color; the college student left bleeding on the sidewalk after a gay-bashing; the loneliness and isolation of the drag queen. The stories also affirm the black gay male experience: protest marches, smoky bars, snap divas, humorous musicology, and vogue dancing. It is as timely today as it was in 1991 when it was aired on PBS, setting off a wild debate about the National Endowment for the Arts funding for art with nudity, gay themes, and pointed political commentary. Impressive and important.

Uneasy experience

[ossie85 · 7/10 · 10 April 2023]

This is a powerful documentary that tells an under-told story of the black gay experience in America. Through a mix of personal interviews, archival footage, and poetic imagery, director Marlon Riggs creates an emotional portrait of a community that is often marginalized and invisible.

While the documentary is engaging and eye-opening, it also creates a feeling of unease as the film delves into the struggles faced by black gay men. These men often live in the shadows, hiding their true identities due to cultural and societal pressures. The documentary captures the tension between the public persona they must present and their inner desires and turmoil.

Riggs boldly confronts homophobia and racism in the black community head-on, revealing the pain and oppression that these men face. With this approach, the film manages to create a powerful force for empathy and understanding.

Overall, "Tongues Untied" is a great documentary that offers a unique perspective on the intersection of race, sexuality, and identity in America. While the stories it tells may be difficult to watch at times, the film is an important contribution to the ongoing conversation about discrimination and inequality, not just in the US but around the world. It is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of community to overcome isolation and marginalization.

Tongues Untied

[jboothmillard · 5/10 · 4 March 2017]

It took me a long time to find this short documentary film, I was most keen to see it because of its inclusion in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, and the subject matter sounded most interesting. Directed by African-American, homosexual filmmaker Marlon Riggs (who tragically died of AIDS in 1994, aged 37), this film examines and celebrates black men loving black men as a revolutionary act. With the help of many gay black men, the film intercuts between various these men, discussing their experiences, and reciting original poems, and footage of the gay men creating original dance and mime routines. The men freely express their camp and vibrant personalities, including their love for fashion and dressing in women's clothing, they discuss homosexual acts and love making, phone lines and group activities, describe kissing, talk about stereotyping and derogatory name-calling, their anger about racism, bigotry and homophobia, and explain finding themselves. Aside the men talking and reciting poems, the film also sees original song and dance routines and group activities, including a snap dance (clicking fingers), rapping, a group in a gay club and a barbershop quartet. There is also archive footage of related subjects, for and against the argument, including gay anthems, religious sermons, Eddie Murphy doing stand-up, gay propaganda, protests, Martin Luther King campaigning for equal rights and much more. It is a fascinating film in many ways, it certainly works as a personal, positive and passionate plea to end racism and homophobia, and to increase tolerance and "brother to brother" unity, it's poetic, chaotic and controversial, but I'm glad I watched it, an interesting documentary. Worth watching!