The Delta (film)

The Delta is an American dramatic LGBT film directed by Ira Sachs. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 1996.^[3] The 85 minute film was shot with 16mm film.^[4] It won the "Outstanding Emerging Talent" award at Outfest in 1997,^[3] and was also nominated for the "Producer's Award" (for producer Margot Bridger) at the 1997 and 1998 Independent Spirit Awards.^[1]

The Delta
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Ira Sachs
Screenplay by	Ira Sachs Mauricio Zacharias
Distributed by	Strand Releasing[1]
Release date	September 9, 1996 (1996-09-09)
Running time	85 minutes[2]
Country	United States

Plot

The Delta tells the story of 18-year-old Lincoln Bloom, who, after leading a relatively straight teenage life, is slowly drawn into the LGBT world and discovers his attraction towards men. After visiting various shady establishments (including gay bars, video arcades, etc.) and engaging in sexual acts with "men he didn't know," Lincoln meets Minh Nguyen, a Vietnamese immigrant, and travels down river with him in a cabin cruiser. In a doomed relationship, the two bond with each other, Lincoln neglecting to tell his girlfriend and leading two parallel lives.

Cast

• Shayne Gray as Lincoln Bloom
• Thang Chan as Minh Nguyen (John)
• Rachel Zan Huss as Monica Rachel
• Colonious Davis as Ricky Little
• Charles J. Ingram as David Bloom

Production

The Delta was filmed entirely in Memphis, Tennessee, Sachs's hometown.^[5][6]

Reception

The film received mostly positive reviews, with IndieWire calling it the "essence of independent film."^[7] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times called it "...so evocative that it is poetic in its impact."^[8] However, it was also criticized by The New York Times and others for leaving viewers with too many questions and moving too abruptly from plotline to plotline.^[1]

On Rotten Tomatoes, The Delta has an approval rating of 63% based on 8 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10.^[9]

References

1. Holden, Stephen (15 August 1997). "Unlikely Companions Fleeing Down River". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
2. Levy, Emanuel (December 21, 1996). "The Delta". Variety. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
3. "The Delta". Glass Eye Pix. Retrieved 2022-10-30.
4. Zoller Seitz, Matt (June 16, 2017). "Remember the risks: Filmmaker Ira Sachs talks about the lessons he learned from his debut feature "The Delta"". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
5. Beifuss, John (November 1, 2012). "Ira Sachs: Native Memphis Filmmaker Returns for Indie Memphis Retrospective". The Bloodshot Eye. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
6. "Ira Sachs Retrospective - The Delta". Wexner Center for the Arts. 2012-10-13. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
7. "Six Questions For Ira Sachs, Director Of "The Delta"". Indiewire. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
8. Thomas, Kevin (August 15, 1997). "Forbidden Passion, Longing in Poignant 'The Delta'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved 2012-10-20.
9. "The Delta". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 18 August 2023.

External links

• The Delta at IMDb
• The Delta at AllMovie
• The Delta at Rotten Tomatoes