Tongues Untied
1989 · 55 min · Director: Marlon Riggs
Show plot summary (may contain spoilers)
Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap. The film closes with obituaries for victims of AIDS and archival footage of the civil rights movement placed next to footage of Black men marching in a gay pride parade.
Emotional fingerprint
Tongues Untied (1989) — Movie. Top emotional signals: Inspiration 30%, Empathy 25%, Sadness 20%. Source: AI estimate. Shares describe emotional signal, not percentages of people. Your experience may differ. How we measure
- Inspiration30%
- Empathy25%
- Sadness20%
- Awe15%
- Humor10%
AI estimate · no viewer votes yet
How we measure
AI estimate
Share of emotional signal, not the percentage of people or a probability of enjoyment.
Each viewer contributes one response, split equally across their selected emotions. When available, an automated estimate supplies a prior that is blended with those responses. Counts include distinct viewers, not automated estimates or archived anonymous votes. Fewer than 3 viewers is an early estimate; more responses do not guarantee certainty.
Why it feels this way
The strongest emotional signals are Inspiration, Empathy, Sadness. Genres: Documentary. AI estimate.
Is it worth watching?
Consider this title if you are looking for Inspiration, Empathy and Sadness. Its IMDb rating of 7.1/10 suggests a generally positive audience reception. For these leading emotions, its Feel Score is 69/100.
How did it make you feel?
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Pick up to three · 0/3
Emotional journey
- Empathy
- Sadness
- Hope
Not enough subtitle evidence
No dominant emotion
Dominant emotion: Empathy
Dominant emotion: Sadness
Dominant emotion: Humor
Dominant emotion: Hope
Dominant emotion: Love
Dominant emotion
| % | Approximate minute | Dominant emotion | Overall intensity | Empathy | Sadness | Hope |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 % | ≈ 1′ | Empathy | 67 % | 63 % | 50 % | 20 % |
| 7.5 % | ≈ 4′ | Sadness | 66 % | 59 % | 49 % | 28 % |
| 12.5 % | ≈ 7′ | Empathy | 64 % | 51 % | 35 % | 26 % |
| 17.5 % | ≈ 10′ | Humor | 65 % | 51 % | 32 % | 20 % |
| 22.5 % | ≈ 12′ | Sadness | 73 % | 63 % | 52 % | 13 % |
| 27.5 % | ≈ 15′ | Sadness | 76 % | 70 % | 65 % | 6 % |
| 32.5 % | ≈ 18′ | Sadness | 71 % | 66 % | 65 % | 9 % |
| 37.5 % | ≈ 21′ | Sadness | 69 % | 63 % | 64 % | 15 % |
| 42.5 % | ≈ 23′ | Empathy | 74 % | 66 % | 61 % | 14 % |
| 47.5 % | ≈ 26′ | Empathy | 80 % | 74 % | 63 % | 10 % |
| 52.5 % | ≈ 29′ | Empathy | 79 % | 76 % | 61 % | 21 % |
| 57.5 % | ≈ 32′ | Empathy | 71 % | 69 % | 48 % | 44 % |
| 62.5 % | ≈ 34′ | Hope | 66 % | 56 % | 29 % | 59 % |
| 67.5 % | ≈ 37′ | Hope | 68 % | 45 % | 15 % | 60 % |
| 72.5 % | ≈ 40′ | Love | 74 % | 38 % | 8 % | 60 % |
| 77.5 % | ≈ 43′ | Hope | 79 % | 36 % | 6 % | 63 % |
| 82.5 % | ≈ 45′ | Love | 81 % | 48 % | 25 % | 46 % |
| 87.5 % | ≈ 48′ | Sadness | 85 % | 65 % | 56 % | 39 % |
| 92.5 % | ≈ 51′ | Hope | 84 % | 64 % | 56 % | 63 % |
| 97.5 % | ≈ 54′ | Hope | 77 % | 50 % | 35 % | 75 % |
Rags to riches
Rags to riches: The emotional tone rises from negative to positive.
Riches to rags: The emotional tone falls from positive to negative.
Man in a hole: The tone falls, then recovers.
Icarus: The tone rises, then falls.
Cinderella: The tone rises, falls, then rises again.
Oedipus: The tone falls, rises, then falls again.
AI reading of the film’s English subtitles (dialogue and sound cues) — not viewer votes. How we measure ↗
Kadri — your film companion
AIAsk anything about Tongues Untied. From the film’s own dialogue and FeelDB data, at your spoiler level.
Afterward Reveal viewer responses · may contain spoilers
Viewer responses about feelings after the title ended, separate from feelings while watching. No AI estimates.
0 responses so far
Feeling details appear after at least 3 viewers respond, to protect privacy.
Cast
Self - Poetry Performance
Self
Self
Self
Self
Details
- Directed by
- Marlon Riggs
- Written by
- Marlon Riggs, Joseph Beam, Chris Harris, Essex Hemphill, Reginald Jackson, Steve Langley, Alan Miller, Donald Woods
- Type
- Movies
- Released
- 1989
- Runtime
- 55 min
- Country
- United States
- Genres
- Documentary
- Ratings
- Feels mostly
- Inspiration
- Data updated
Where to watch
Subscription
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