2023/08/30 by Docker, Sylvia
Arts and Humanities · Economics, Econometrics and Finance · #Cinema and Media Studies #Photography and Visual Culture #South Asian Cinema and Culture
paper · doi:10.14288/cjur.v9i1.198620
openalex publication_date 2023/08/30 · openalex created_date 2025/11/28 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/01
This paper provides an overview of documentarian Marlon T. Riggs, a key figure in Black and gay art movements of the 1980s and his filmography, with a particular focus on his use of the performative mode of address. His videos are frequently referenced as exemplars of the performative mode as defined by film scholar Bill Nichols, which refers primarily to the use of embodied knowledge and a personal voice within the context of nonfiction filmmaking. This review draws from Riggs’ documentaries and various analyses of his cultural impact, and it explains and considers competing viewpoints within documentary film studies and, to a lesser extent, cultural studies about Riggs’ legacy. Two of his four feature films, Ethnic Notions (1986) and Color Adjustment (1991), are widely acknowledged as representative of the expository mode of address. Although they are less celebrated within cinephile circles, they have strong educational value in the conventional sense that makes them culturally significant. However, it is Tongues Untied (1989) and Black Is… Black Ain’t (1992) that are firmly positioned as performative, and their emotional and subjective value make their power as tools of social change clear. That they were some of the first films to portray Black, gay life in unapologetic terms also demonstrates their cultural significance and lasting impact. Riggs’ filmography is an important cross section of documentary filmmaking more broadly and of art within marginalized communities specifically; its evolution provides valuable insight into the culture overall.