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A fearless film and queer cinema pioneer, John Schlesinger is the subject of a major new UK-wide retrospective to mark his centenary in July and August.
The Londoner, who died in 2003, was a fearless film and queer cinema pioneer who left a major mark with movies like Midnight Cowboy, Marathon Man, Far From The Madding Crowd, Sunday Bloody Sunday, and British New Wave classics Billy Liar and Darling.
‘The Consummate Professional: John Schlesinger at 100’ will bring his films back to cinemas across the country.
On the slate are his 1969 Oscar-winner Midnight Cowboy, the first ever X-rated film to win Best Picture; BAFTA-winning love triangle drama Sunday Bloody Sunday, which broke ground with its close-up of a kiss between Murray Head’s bisexual artist and Peter Finch’s gay doctor; and Billy Liar, which satirised post-war British mores and helped establish Tom Courtenay as a big-screen star.
Schlesinger’s life partner Michael Childers and his collaborators will be turning out to chat about the great man. Childers will be intro’ing special screenings of Midnight Cowboy at Curzon Soho on July 25 and Sunday Bloody Sunday at Kino Rye on July 29. Courtenay is doing a Q&A screening to discuss Billy Liar at Curzon Mayfair on August 1.
Look out, too, for a rare screening of the director’s BAFTA-winning 1961 fly-on-the-wall Waterloo Station doc Terminus at Curzon Canterbury Riverside on August 2. That one will be introduced by its editor Hugh Raggett.
The director’s nephew Paul Schlesinger will introduce Midnight Cowboy and Sunday Bloody Sunday at Aldeburgh Cinema as part of its five-feature retrospective in August.
Curzon across England will also be showcasing a selection of Schlesinger movies. Head to the Curzon website for tickets and programme info.