March, 1999

Best Cinematic Revenge:

Treasure Island

Once upon a time, films that broke the mold were lauded at Sundance. Now distribution and marketing executives snicker about them in the hallways, as if they don't belong. Such was the case this year with Scott King's Treasure Island, a tale of two Naval spies set in San Francisco during WWII who battle both the Japanese and their own psycho - sexual demons.

The film is a stylish combination of spy flick, propaganda newsreel, and forties romance. Its gray-toned cinematography wasn't the only thing that freaked the suits: King deftly weaves a critique of class and race relations into his story, with results that make you squirm even if you don't immediately realize you're doing so.

In spite of the snickering, King was awarded a Special Jury Prize for Distinctive Vision in Filmmaking, a much deserved tribute to a director with the guts to make such a personal creation.