Ranked #24 and #25 respectively in Sight and Sound Magazine’s 100 Greatest Films of All Time list, these extraordinary films were both controversial on initial release, and echo one another in their explorations of morality and violence.
This is a public screening open to all and very affordable prices. Come to one or both films on the day, and enjoy these iconic films on the beautiful big screen at The Capitol.
2:30 pm – Do the Right Thing (1989)
Legendary film director Spike Lee writes, directs and stars in this story about racial conflict in the Brooklyn neighbourhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant. On a scorchingly hot summer day, simmering tensions between the neighbourhood’s African-American residents and the Italian-American owners of its local pizzeria reach boiling point when a violent altercation leads to tragedy. The film’s fine ensemble cast also features Rosie Perez in her screen debut, alongside Samuel L. Jackson and Danny Aiello.
6:00 pm – The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Charles Laughton’s singular and profoundly influential American thriller stars Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, and screen legend Lillian Gish in the story of two children who must outrun a serial killer posing as a preacher. James Agee’s gripping screenplay, based on Davis Grubb’s 1953 novel, is brought to life in a film that is equally dark and beautiful, drawing on the styles and themes of film noir, classic fairytales, and German Expressionism of the silent era. Critically derided on its original release, it is now considered one of the greatest American films ever made.
Join us at The Capitol to experience these significant films on the big screen for the first time, or the first time in a long time! They can be enjoyed independently, or as a double feature, and both are accompanied by contextual introductions from RMIT Cinema Studies academics. Presented in partnership by RMIT Culture with RMIT Cinema Studies.
