Thoughts: A Critical Ending

There has been a lot of talk lately about the "death of the critic" and speculation as to its cause. I have thoughts and opinions on the subject but before I get into it I want to share a couple of these articles.

Anne Thompson talks about the changing times and provides a few good links that I think set up the discussion well. Links Here.

One article she links to is Patrick Goldstein's The End of The Critic? I think he also covers several key points.

Briefly, some of my thoughts.

I look for a couple of things in film criticism.

One, simply, I want to know if a movie is supposed to be any good. I don't get to see many films in the theater. There are some that I will see no matter what, even if the critics hate it. And then there are others that I may be on the fence about. It's these films that I look for other opinions. Should I rush to see it? Can I wait for it to make it to the second run theater that has the cheaper tickets? Or should I just wait for video? When I'm all ready missing films like Ang Lee's Lust, Caution I don't really want to waste my movie going time on something like Drillbit Taylor which will probably be just as good (or bad) off of Netflix.

A second thing I read critics for is to find new films. Even if a film may never play in a venue I can get to, I like to know what's going on in the film world. I like to know what's new, what people are getting excited about. When I can't get to Sundance or Cannes myself, I can read about the films from others who were there. Or when a museum is hosting a retrospective on a filmmaker whose work isn't always readily available, I can find a new name to at least look for.

There's so much film out there that if you look to just the mainstream you'll miss most of it. Film critics can be a great source for finding the new, they can bridge the gap between the blockbuster and the obscure art film. A wonderful thing.

The third reason I look to critics, and the area where I find myself being most frustrated, is to find critical discussion, discourse, debate. I want to see what other people who love film, who are educated in film theory and history, have to say about something like No Country For Old Men for example. Is it really as great as everyone likes to think it is? I can watch No Country and see for myself that the cinematography is great. What I'm looking for is something beyond the obvious. I want an artistic context.

Instead, most of what I find is this: "It looks great. The Coen brothers are great. Javier Bardem is great (despite his funny haircut)."

Well, really? I could tell you that. In fact, I did tell you that. I don't want to read the things that I can come up with on my own. I want something beyond that.

So are we seeing the end of criticism? I don't know. The nature of criticism is certainly changing. Like most of the articles you'll find behind the links say, the internet is democratizing criticism. And not just for film. For everything. Anyone can start a blog on any topic they care about. Anyone can post a review. I think that's a great thing. There is a value in that.

But there are elements that you are just not going to find in Joe Everyman's review. Because us bloggers, we're just the laymen. I like to think of myself as being competently educated in film but I don't have the knowledge or skill to contextualize the way I would like to see films contextualized.

What I would like the future of criticism to be is a mix between the highbrow and the low. Between the experts and the fans. A beautiful balance that will create a community of film lovers. A utopia of sorts. Community. And we're starting to get it. You can find it in the obvious places like Rotten Tomatoes. My hope is that we can have the new, this democracy of opinion, without completely losing the old.

I think it's something that is certainly possible. And I think a shake up in the world of print criticism is not a bad thing at all. Clear away some of the nonsense, bring critics in touch with what is going on in the world. Create debate.

What I love so much about reading older critics like Pauline Kael is that they not only discuss a film and whether or not it's good. They argue with each other. They argue with their audience. There is a discourse. And their reviews end up revealing just as much about the state of the film world as whether or not a movie is good. Through their writing we can see a reflection of our culture as a whole.

Film is more than just entertainment for me. It is an integral part of my life. I want to find the critics who I can relate to. I don't need another hack. I need people like Jonathan Rosenbaum. I may not always agree with him but when I read about how film has shaped his life, when I read about why he likes or dislikes certain films, I know I have found a kindred spirit. Another lover of film.

I look to the critics for opinions, for advice, but mostly for their love. If this shake up can knock out a few of the hacks... then by all means, shake away!

The establishment always gets nervous when they see the world changing. But that's just how the world works. It changes. The new becomes old. The old is retired. Sometimes the change is for the best, sometimes it's not. It is, however, always inevitable. The only way to survive it is to roll with it. Ebert has figured that out. If others want to as well, then I recommend they start blogs of their own. If they're any good, the audience will find them.