Elaine May’s uncompromising fourth feature, starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman as a pair of talentless songwriters who bumble their way into Cold War intrigues in Morocco, has enjoyed a critical re-evaluation in recent years. J. Hoberman of the Village Voice calls it “the most adroit political satire to emerge from Hollywood during the Iran-Contra stupefaction of Ronald Reagan’s second term.” Shot by acclaimed cinematographer Vittorio Storaro on location in the Sahara, the film offers a comical, self-referential send-up of both American foreign policy and Hollywood exoticism. Northwestern Professor of History Daniel Immerwahr, author of the new book How to Hide an Empire, will offer an introduction to the geopolitical context of the film.
107 min
Elaine May, 1987, USA, 35mm
Official Website
More events on this date
Tags: Block Museum of Art, Elaine May, Evanston, Istar
« previous event
next event »