Capital Celluloid 2022 — Day 324: Thu Nov 24

Saint Jack (Bogdnaovich, 1979): ICA Cinema, 6.40pm

This is a Badlands Collective 35mm presentation and this is their introduction: Peter Bogdanovich was an integral part of the New Hollywood of the 1970s – director of such acclaimed films as The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon, and a writer whose interviews with the likes of Howard Hawks and John Ford helped sustain interest in their work. Bogdanovich died in January – and to mark his passing, the ICA and the Badlands Collective are delighted to be presenting this rarely-seen 35mm print of his 1979 film Saint Jack.

Jack Flowers (Ben Gazzara, a signature performance) is a small-time American hustler and pimp trying to make a living in Singapore. Jack dreams of running his own brothel but faces pressures from gangs and the CIA – and through his encounters with the men and women who enter his orbit (played by Denholm Elliott, Joss Ackland and Rodney Bewes, among others), he discovers what it takes to be a moral man in an amoral world. Rich in atmosphere thanks to Robby Müller’s vivid cinematography. Saint Jack is an atypical entry in Bogdanovich’s catalogue – but it’s also one of his very best films.

Here (and above) is the trailer.

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