Written By: Jamie Loftus
What is independent cinema? Ask anyone off the street and you may get an answer that’s universally disappointing—that is, the kinds of movies with a handwritten title and an acoustic soundtrack instead of what it truly can be. There has been a recent trend in mainstream movies making films appear more handcrafted while still being funded by gigantic Hollywood machines in a sea of high-budget franchises, leaving the landscape relatively dismal. Who has conquered the real indie landscape in the past? Here’s a classic from each decade built from the ground up that isn’t to be missed—no fakers (we’re looking at you, Juno).
The 1960’s
Or, the New Wave conquers all!
The ’60’s did a lot more for the rise of indie cinema than the decade gets credit for--between the crop of directors that came to prominence thanks to B-movie auteus Roger Corman, audiences were becoming more receptive to the weird and the unexpected--that is, what Hollywood couldn’t give them. So when George Romero’s cult classic Night of the Living Dead was released in 1968, a film the would ultimately earn back its budget over a hundred times over, audiences were alternatively shaken and delighted at a film so masterfully combining the gross and the entertaining and engagin in the racier cinematic conversation that would continue into the 1970’s. Combining political subtext, an original vision, a little humor, and buckets and buckets of blood, there’s no way this movie could go wrong.
The 1970’s
Or, the decade when a porno shot in your garage could become a lucrative commodity.
You’ve probably never seen Sweet Sweetback Badassss Song (1971), and it’s for a good reason. A great example of all of what a blaxploitation film should be- - that is, something written with stirring controversy and angering the white public in mind, Melvin Van Peebles’ film is hardcore rife with themes still taboo in film today. Despite all this, including a still-controversial scene featuring a 13-year-old boy having sex with a prostitute, the movie was a success and stands as proof of what an indie film could accomplish during this mainstream porno heyday (or, before anyone could afford a VCR or knew what a hard drive was). Sweet Sweetback was a raunchfest, but one that was made for cheap, got people talking, and dealt with everything traditional Hollywood turned its eyes to, as well as heavily targeting a black demographic with success.
The 1980’s
Or, when franchises held the industry in a vice grip.
The 1980’s brought us some classic movies that still have gigantic surroundings to this day, but few came at anything less than a staggering cost. As many indies drowned, the end of the decade brought some well-deserved recognition to the movies people were missing all over the world, exemplified in Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso in 1988. The film, written and directed in Tornatore with a distinct auteur feel and following the life of fictional Italian filmmaker reflecting upon his childhood during World War II, the movie takes on a homemade and heartfelt feel that can only be achieved through singular vision and lack of distraction from the studio machine.
The 1990’s
Or, the decade festivals make indie cool.
It’s easy to choose a Tarantino film and call it a day, but Hal Hartley’s wonderful Heny Fool sneaks in just before the turn of the century with a fresh perspective and a success not unusual for an indie in the 1990’s. With the rise of Sundance and the success of films like Tarantino’s and Stephen Soderbergh’s sex, lies, and videotape, audiences were becoming more receptive to new voices in film and trusting where to find them. After winning the best screenplay at Cannes, Henry Fool became a shoo-in for a cult favorite. The story of a socially challenged trash collector and uninspired novelist, it’s no wonder this provocative film was received so well.
The 2000’s
Four Eyed Monsters Or, the decade where new media changes everything.
This film, made by Susan Crumley and Arin Buice, is a great example of finding ways to extend a film’s life beyond the too-short festival circuit. Originally made in 2004 and following the filmmaker’s relationship closely, the film garnered a lot of positive attention in the 2005 festival circuit, significantly at Brooklyn International FIlm Festival and South by Southwest, but fell flat from there. What comes in the wake of this critical praise? Podcasts, Youtube, Kickstarter campaigns, and anything a modern filmmaker can do to reach out and engage with their hungry fanbase.
Oh, and did we mention it’s a damn good movie to boot?
As this decade develops, there’s no clear way to tell what way independent cinema is headed as filmmakers continually struggle with finding success beyond the festival circuit. Will we continue to support these endeavors, or fall victim to the Hollywood handwritten-titled movies of yore? Time can only tell.
