| Title | : | Placing Movies |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0520086333 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780520086333 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 348 |
| Publication | : | First published April 10, 1995 |
It is this last element―Rosenbaum's reflections on the art of film criticism―that sets this collection apart from other volumes of film writing. Both in the essays themselves and in the section introductions, Rosenbaum provides a rare insider's view of his the backstage politics, the formulation of critical judgments, the function of film commentary. Taken together, these pieces serve as a guided tour of the profession of film criticism.
They also serve as representative samples of Rosenbaum's unique brand of film writing. Among the highlights are memoirs of director Jacques Tati and maverick critic Manny Farber, celebrations of classics such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Manchurian Candidate , and considered reevaluations of Orson Welles and Woody Allen.
Placing Movies Reviews
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I hate pieces of movie criticism which are constantly trying, by means of poetic and overly affected tones, to approach some form of art. But this book is nothing like that; in fact, it is so masterfully written - with each text so passionately documented - that it can't be compared to anything but art. It is not an easy read - but what Rosenbaum achieves by collecting his best work proves that there is still hope in this artistic field. I found myself mesmerized by his knowledge and his vision; or I should say intimidated, for his handling of words and his analysis require pencil adnotations. Every page is so dense, so full of reflexion, humour, satire (sorry, Pauline Kael) - and yes, every review or essay is in itself a work of art; at his best, I think Rosenbaum manages to mirror the oeuvres he is referring to. Which, by the way, are not a sunday stroll: from Cassavetes and Antonioni to Dreyer, Resnais, Rivette, Tarr or Straub/Huillet, this is a tough movie buff's dream gallery right there.
So I guess this intellectual feast made me want to write a sort of shy réplique; its lack of utility (as I know no one will read me) doesn't strike me anymore - I will read it all right, in twenty years or so, and I will remember, for I know that there is before and after reading Rosenbaum - at least this is how it feels now. Maybe some people laughed at Rosenbaum's stubborn pretentious (so they say) art movie choices - I have to admit that I smiled. So, Mr. Rosenbaum, if one day you read this (which I'm sure you won't), thank you for your wonderful writings - which made me smile throughout your book and write this overly enthousiastic and embarrassing little piece in response. And boy not only did I smile - but I laughed (sorry again, Pauline Kael), and, while reading your take on Vigo's L'Atalante, I think I wept. -
Rosenbaum is a very pugnacious personality (and he can sometimes get lost in his many feuds haha — most embarrassingly a way too long aside about wallace shawn) but he is also a very gracious and knowledgeable host with an expert knack for weaving together the personal, the political, and the historical (and, boy, is he knowledgeable).
he does hold a few what i would say precious writerly tics that can irritate (enough little french phrases here and there and he can certainly get lost in a parenthetical or two, but well, hey, i’ve been there) but he’s also pound for pound a better writer than almost any american critic i’ve ever encountered (and he knows it haha). his scope of vision is great as well, Rosenbaum will tackle anything with the same vigor from Michael Snow to Jerry Lewis — and even when i disagree completely (his piece Gertrud as Nonnarrative bordered on incoherence) he usually gets me to thinking in an interesting way — also he goes to bat for shit he loves like a madman possessed, perhaps the most noble trait a critic can have but rarely does.
at his best, his work seeds careful histories into your brain and wants you to go off and watch a film immediately (after several chapter I did just this: finally cracking open that L’avventura disc my experimental media professor told me was more useful than any cinematography course seven years ago, popping in a Jerry Lewis disc I got from a local record store, and, belatedly and lamely putting on a Cassavetes film, someone I’ve steered away from because my own reactionary personality could not stomach how “film people on twitter” talk about him)
anyways, good stuff - i look forward to reading more from him.
(he can come off a little braggy sometimes as well — but it’s probable that that narcissism carries over from his former literary pretensions which make his writing as good as it is. perhaps critics /should/ have more artistic personalities — as i say this, rosenbaum often reveals himself as a classic critic when countered with the innate artist, he takes what he perceives as Cassavetes’ anti-intellectualism so personally haha and when he receives a blank stare from Tati after mentioning Buñuel he seems agog) -
This is the first collection of criticism by Jonathan Rosenbaum, "Chicago Reader" critic from 1987-2008; all of the reviews collected herein date from his first few years (1987-93) on that paper. The "Reader" has long been one of the best sources for serious film criticism in the USA, employing the fine Dave Kehr before Rosenbaum. But JR really put himself on the map during his 20-year stint and helped make Chicago one of the liveliest film communities around with his consistent championing of the lesser-known cinematic worlds outside of the borders of mainstream, current, blockbuster-bound Hollywood.
The reviews here are presented just as they were in the paper; most range from 2000-3000 words or so though there are a few that stretch those boundaries. Some few are devoted to fairly well-known contemporary films like RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (to which he gives zero stars), BARTON FINK, and BIRD; most of them deal with films and filmmakers that are typically described as "arthouse", and many are of older films that were reviewed upon their Chicago premiered or for retrospectives. Among the better pieces in my opinion are those on contemporary Hungarian director Béla Tarr, American maverick Josef von Sternberg's ANATHAN (1953), Danish master Carl Theodor Dreyer's final film GERTRUD (1964), Orson Welles' OTHELLO (1952), French "New Wave" cypher Jacques Rivette, American independent director John Cassavetes, Orson Welles' documentary-essay films, Chilean-French surrealist Raoul Ruiz, Clint Eastwood's Charlie Parker bio-pic BIRD (1988), Samuel Fuller's last American film WHITE DOG (1982) and the Hollywood blacklist.
As you might guess from a few of these titles, Rosenbaum has a strong interest in politics and ethics, which shine through in the majority of his films. Movies are rarely if ever just dumb entertainment for him - and those who will appreciate this book are likely to have similar sentiments. Recommended with enthusiasm to anyone interested in any of these subjects at all; the author is a clear and thoughtful writer in almost all cases, and a provocative and entertaining one on many occasions. -
From Modern Library top 100
http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/...
Interesting to see how film criticism differs from art criticism and literature criticism
