Essential Cinema: On the Necessity of Film Canons by Jonathan Rosenbaum

Essential Cinema: On the Necessity of Film Canons Reviews

• 
  Edwin

  This title by Johnathan Rosenbaum ostensibly covers the importance of film canons by using a collection of his essays from the Chicago Reader compiled in a manner to support this argument. If one were to judge the quality of this book on these standards, I would say this book fails. However, this book is teeming with insight and knowledge of cinema in a way that only Rosenbaum can provide.
  The reading is sectioned off in five parts, classics, special problems, other canons, disputable contenders and filmmakers. For the committed reader, or one who has completely bought into the premise, it's very possible to weave together the argument from these sections, however vague it maybe, however what really stands out is his eagerness to draw attention to Films and Filmmakers that may not have gotten the attention that they have deserved. Such filmmakers would be Charles Brunett, Joris Ivens, Hou Hsia-hsien, Abbas Kiarostami, Edward Yang and many others. It's clear that he mentions these films by these filmmakers in order to illustrate the importance of film canonization. These are films that generally have a hard time making their way to states for one reason or another. (a problem he attributes mainly to studio interference, and media bias) Canonization protects these films from complete obscurity by grouping them with other films that may be more accessible to the average film lover.
  He also covers more well known artists as Orson Welles, Fritz Lang, Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Bresson and many others, but it's done in a way that also ties in with the general theme of the book. He generally speaks on how they struggled to maintain the artistic integrity of their works, often in vain and what's produced to the audiences is a lot of times just a variation of what was originally intended. One can piece together from this that he may be suggesting under film canons that these blunders may also may be brought to light.
  The reading starts off innocently enough, but it suffers, at least in my opinion of being overly informative. I would compare it to having a friend whose "too" knowledgeable on a given subject, and in his eagerness to explain it to anyone who will listen, he bombards you with the information that you're a kind enough friend to listen to. The positive behind that though, is its almost impossible to walk away without gaining some perspective yourself, even if some of it was lost.
• 
  Mark Schoen

  Rosenbaum's love for world cinema is infectious.
• 
  Mr.

  Rosenbaum proves himself once again to be among the most knowledgeable and eloquent film critics in print today. Unlike some of his other volumes such as "Movie Wars," Rosenbaum doesn't discuss the grim realities of corporate Hollywood so much (although he does comment on filmmakers who have been treated unfairly by the system), as he evaluates directors and films which he believes are of historical and artistic importance, such as Orson Welles, Fritz Lang, Eric Von Stroheim, Yasujiro Ozu, and Sam Fuller. Rosenbaum writes with clarity and insight on a number of film-related topics, such as screenwriting and mise en scene. He's remarkably intelligent and has a keen eye for film aesthetics; he's passionate about the French director Jacques Tati which is slightly problematic because Rosenbaum worked as an assistant for Tati for a time which may slant his opinions of the auteur. Never the less, Essential Cinema is one of the best collections of film criticism I've read in a while, and his personal favorite 1,000 movies list is a valuable resource, though I disagree with a number of selections. The book is a worthwhile purchase for any cinephile.
• 
  Jess

  I sometimes completely disagree with him, but not in the way that I often find myself disagreeing with film critics. His analyses are thorough and well-thought out, the writing is passionate and he doesn't take that glib and dismissive tone that's so often found in mainstream criticism. So, when disagreements do arise, it's more a difference of opinion rather than "this guy's an idiot." And his essays make for a good antidote to, say, David Denby or Mick LaSalle. Aside from the introduction and appendix, though, the title almost seems arbitrary with regard to the contents.
• 
  Ben

  The title and description are a bit misleading, as the book is mostly a collection of Rosenbaum's reviews and essays, with only an introduction and list of films at the end which relate directly to "film cannons." The essays are generally illuminating, and cover a wide range of films and filmmakers.
• 
  Dan Geddes

  A great book for cinephiles who want to expand their perspective of international cinema. Great articles about American filmmakers such as the Coen brothers, Stanley Kubrick and Orson Welles, but also directors from all over the world. Rosenbaum even offers a personal "film canon" at the back of the book.
• 
  John

  I so appreciate Rosenbaum's perspective, particularly his championing of non-American cinema, his commitment to careful research, and his encyclopedic knowledge of the movies. This latter quality is something he brings to bear often on his reviews of various films, placing the film in question in relationship with other films that compare or contrast with it.
• 
  Eddie Watkins

  He's not too fond of Herzog, but he's still my favorite film critic.
• 
  Nigel

  Loved this. I first encountered Rosenbaum when Movie Wars came out in 2000 and found him a little too cranky for my taste. Now I'm a super-fan. And possibly more cranky myself.