Bear
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42% Critic Match

Bear

4.2 / 10 1993 10mNR xx
Drama

Storyline

Bear (10 minutes, 35 seconds) was Steve McQueen's first major film. Although not an overtly political work, for many viewers it raises sensitive issues about race, homoeroticism and violence. It depicts two naked men – one of whom is the artist – tussling and teasing one another in an encounter which shifts between tenderness and aggression. The film is silent but a series of stares, glances and winks between the protagonists creates an optical language of flirtation and threat.

Cast & Crew

Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen

Lead
VD

Vernon Douglas

What People Are Saying

3.0
A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Steve McQueen's vision lands with breathtaking precision.
Manohla Dargis, The New York Times
3.0
Every frame feels alive. Bear is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker