The Best Film at Sundance Is Just Two People Talking

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Could a sketch potentially be a masterpiece? Perhaps it’s not entirely accurate to label Peter Hujar’s Day as a simple sketch, yet Ira Sachs’s movie, lasting 76 minutes, seems unassuming in its presentation. Featuring a dialogue between two individuals in an East Village apartment, filmed with minimalist yet evocative style, the film embraces its simplicity, warmth. Initially portraying the ordinary, it later morphs into something more poignant and introspective.

The movie is a recreation of an interview that took place on December 19, 1974, between the famous photographer Hujar (played by Ben Whishaw) and his friend, Linda Rosenkrantz (Rebecca Hall), a journalist. Their discussion was initially planned for a book about how people spent their day. On this occasion, Hujar meticulously recounts his previous activities, yet his focus on seemingly trivial details reveals his photographer’s perspective. A significant portion of the conversation revolves around a photoshoot he had with poet Allen Ginsberg. However, other names, such as Susan Sontag, William Burroughs, Glenn O’Brien, are casually mentioned throughout their dialogue – reflecting the New York style, where a discussion between two people often leads to conversations about multiple others.

Navigating through the maze of names and fragments can be challenging, but it seems intentional. Sachs appears passionate about reviving the forgotten downtown ambiance, and he skillfully expresses this not only through dialogue (directly from Rosenkrantz’s transcript) but also through his visuals and editing. The conversation unfolds in various areas of the apartment, with them preparing coffee, sipping tea, eating cookies, stepping outside, lounging in bed, and more. Lighting conditions shift, as does their attire, creating intriguing visual moments like a peculiar sunlight angle on Hujar or the glow of a sunset reflecting off a surface. Background noises from the street seep in, enhancing the realistic atmosphere. They occasionally touch each other’s limbs in casual and sensual ways, yet their interactions are more about human connection rather than sexual encounters. These subtle reminders of familiar experiences help create an emotional bond, making this heartwarming film feel like a shared memory for many viewers.

In this production, Whishaw primarily carries the weight of the dialogues, yet Hall matches him with her skillful use of silence. Her affection for Hujar shines through, as does her comfort around him. Whishaw imbues Hujar’s words with a practical tone, but there’s also a subtle undercurrent of melancholy. He grapples with apprehensions about his art and work, including his first assignment for the New York Times, and even expresses anxiety over venturing just four blocks to another part of the Village. Whishaw, renowned for his extraordinary voice in contemporary cinema (his talent for portraying Paddington is a testament to this), masterfully conveys a mix of nervousness, hope, boredom, and sadness all at once.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve always felt a profound connection with Nan Goldin’s film, which carries an underlying sense of loss. Rosenkrantz’s intended book never came to fruition, but she published the Hujar interview as a standalone volume in 2022, long after AIDS had taken the photographer’s life. The film, in essence, is a tribute to what was lost and can never be regained. It invites us into an intimate world, making us feel as if we could have known these people. Yet, we are painfully aware that such knowledge remains elusive.

The intricate web of names, facts, and shared history in Hujar’s narrative, the way the light captures the fleeting nature of this moment, it all feels like a fading memory. We’re watching a seemingly ordinary event – a man recounting his day – yet we’re also bearing witness to the passage of time within this quiet hour.

The film is not merely a sketch, for there’s too much skill and compassion involved in its creation. But it is undeniably a masterpiece, a testament to life, love, and loss.

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2025-01-29 20:54