Tongues Untied

"Black Men Loving Black Men"

1990 0h 55m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 63

Documentary

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Marlon Riggs, 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.

“Black Men Loving Black Men”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Marlon Riggs
Self
Essex Hemphill
Self - Poetry Performance
Brian Freeman
Self
Michael Bell
Self
Willi Ninja
Self
Kerrigan Black
Self
Blackberri
Self
Djola Bernard Branner
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Marlon Riggs
Writers: Joseph Beam, Chris Harris, Reginald Jackson
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 55-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

36 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Marlon Riggs, shot by Vivian Kleiman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alex Langford. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marlon Riggs shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marlon Riggs and Essex Hemphill and Brian Freeman carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Black Men Loving Black Men".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Marlon Riggs directs. Vivian Kleiman behind the camera. Alex Langford scores. Marlon Riggs cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 55-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
236 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Marlon Riggs, shot by Vivian Kleiman. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Alex Langford. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Marlon Riggs shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Marlon Riggs and Essex Hemphill and Brian Freeman carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Black Men Loving Black Men".
9IMDB entry: tt0103099 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 63 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Vivian Kleiman
Original score: Alex Langford
Editing: Marlon Riggs
Runtime: 55 min · 0h 55m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Tongues Untied (1990)

Also by

Marlon Riggs

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Production companies

Who made it

SI
Signifyin' Works
US

Key crew

ProducerMarlon Riggs
EditorMarlon Riggs
Associate ProducerBrian Freeman

Themes & keywords

What it's about, really

lgbt
black lgbt
african american man

Release history · US

When it landed

Premiere1989-07-01· Outfest Los Angeles
Theatrical (limited)1990-03-16· San Francisco, California
Theatrical (limited)1990-06-01· San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Theatrical (limited)1990-11-06· Princeton Queer Articulations Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
TV1991-07-16· PBS