Thoughts : Losing Ground (1982)
Discovering the I Saw What You Did podcast has been a wonderful experience, as listening to Danielle Henderson and Millie De Chirico talk films reminds me of the deep dive conversations my friends and I used to have. The podcast has also been a source of inspiration as, despite my vast catalog of films viewed, they more often than not are able to introduce me to films I am unaware of. For Black History Month, the duo is jumping into sharing underappreciated and unrecognized Black directors, and their first episode of the month brought up Losing Ground by Kathleen Collins, the first feature-length drama directed by an African-American woman since the 1920s.
New York City resident Sara Rogers (Seret Scott) spends her days teaching philosophy and logic to adoring students while her husband Victor (Bill Gunn) makes his name as a painter. The pair decides to rent a summer home where Victor can pursue a new discipline with his art, specifically painting the women of his summer locale, much to Sara’s chagrin. Victor seeks validation in his mentee and longtime friend Carlos (Noberto Kerner), but quickly turns his focus towards the beautiful and free-spirited Celia (Maritza Rivera). Meanwhile, Sara’s initial frustration quickly subsides when local intellectual Duke (Duane Jones) piques her interest. Sara and Duke begin working on a student film for Duke’s nephew George (Gary Bolling) while Victor continues to seek the favor of Celia, leading both members of the relationship down a rocky path.
Seeing black professionals and intellectuals presented outside the construct of exploitation or mainstream film is refreshing, especially for a film so clearly influenced by the same energy that fueled the directors of the 1970s. Sara Rogers and Duane Jones in particular intellectually spar on quite a few heavy topics during their introductory scene, but do so in a way that the layman can glean understanding from. With the narrative spine of the film revolving around extramarital trysts, one would expect souped up theatrics, but we are actually shown a handful of characters with integrity forced to stand their ground in the face of an artist grasping at entitled expectations.
Positioning the relationship as a conflict between logic and the nature of a free spirit serves as a solid foundation for narrative exploration and expression. Anyone with eyes can see why Seret Scott and Bill Gunn would be chosen for a film couple, but it becomes immediately crystal clear that each individual is one a solo path from their respective introductions, with Bill Gunn’s Victor even going so far as to admit his ruse of pretending to be a house painter and offer his ‘services’ door to door. To further the matter, Sara clearly exhibits an altruistic nature in her educational ventures, while Victor seeks validation from others in the form of providing mentorship and receiving praise, all the while feigning that it means nothing to him.
Though the cinematography of the film seems to stray from the realms of handheld operation, the setups still seem to push the limits of their restrictions with their movement and intention. The colors pop like those in a Dario Argento film, with striking use of primary color in surreal and abstract placements dominating the sets. The bits of handheld that are present happen mostly in the location shoots, particularly those when Victor wanders the streets surrounding the summer home. The amount and variety of dancing present in the film is a refreshing change of pace. I am certain that this film would have thrived in a scope aspect ratio, but perhaps the use of frame caused Kathleen Collins to be more economical with her visual real estate.
Seret Scott presents her intellectual prowess and curiosity with grace, and with no detriment to her ability to exude charm and personality with the best of any starlet. Bill Gunn not only heaps reality into his performance, but he puts on an air of charm that quickly gives way to infinite shallowness and a will driven by carnal desires. Duane Jones brings leading man sophistication with a hint of mystery, serving as a perfect foil to Gunn. Maritza Rivera mirrors Scott in her fiery personality, but leans more towards Gunn in terms of being a free spirit, though she feels no need to tether herself to another person. Billie Allen compliments Scott’s wisdom with intellect and experience. Norberto Kerner and Gary Bolling also provide memorable performances.
Plain and simple, it has been a LONG time since a film brought me this much pure joy. I’m not big on marginalizing or qualifying the work specifically because of a different “characteristic” connected to the creator (I already feel I’ve put my foot in my mouth by calling womanhood a “characteristic”), but it is extremely refreshing to know that this film was the the vision of a female writer/director. I probably would have overlooked this one had I not been hipped to it, so consider this my recommendation to you to check this one out!
