anatomy of a fall roger ebert

Anatomy of a Fall: Roger Ebert's Cinematic Masterclass

Introduction:

Roger Ebert, a name synonymous with insightful film criticism, didn't just review movies; he dissected them. He understood the intricate dance of storytelling, the subtle nuances of cinematography, and the emotional impact of a well-crafted scene. This article delves into "the anatomy of a fall," not literally, but metaphorically – exploring how Ebert, through his writing, revealed the underlying structures and mechanisms that make a film truly great, or utterly disastrous. We’ll unpack his critical lens, examining how he deconstructed cinematic elements to reveal their power and impact, using examples from his extensive body of work to illustrate his profound understanding of filmmaking. Prepare to experience film criticism as a captivating art form itself.

Outline:

I. Ebert's Critical Methodology: A framework for analysis.
II. The Power of Narrative: Examining plot structure and character development in Ebert's critiques.
III. Beyond the Story: The role of cinematography, editing, and music in shaping emotional impact.
IV. The Director's Vision: How Ebert identified and interpreted the director's artistic choices.
V. The "Great" vs. the "Bad": Ebert's criteria for judging cinematic success.
VI. Ebert's Legacy: The lasting impact of his critical approach.

I. Ebert's Critical Methodology: A Framework for Analysis

Roger Ebert wasn't just a critic; he was a teacher. He didn't simply state whether he liked or disliked a film; he explained why. His critiques weren't mere opinions; they were detailed dissections, carefully revealing the film's inner workings. He provided a roadmap for understanding cinema, guiding readers through the labyrinthine paths of narrative, visual storytelling, and thematic resonance. Think of him as a skilled surgeon, carefully opening up a film to expose its heart and soul. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty, examining every aspect – from the script's structure to the director's choices – to understand the film's overall impact.

II. The Power of Narrative: Examining Plot Structure and Character Development

Ebert understood that a compelling narrative is the backbone of any great film. He meticulously examined plot structures, identifying classic story arcs, analyzing character development, and evaluating the effectiveness of dialogue. He could pinpoint a flaw in a plot twist as easily as he could praise a perfectly paced narrative. Did the characters feel real? Did the story resonate emotionally? These weren't mere afterthoughts; they were central to his assessments. He knew a good story was more than just a sequence of events; it was a journey that took the audience on an emotional roller coaster.

III. Beyond the Story: The Role of Cinematography, Editing, and Music

For Ebert, a film wasn't just a story; it was a symphony of sights and sounds. He appreciated the artistry of cinematography, understanding how lighting, framing, and camera angles could evoke specific emotions. He analyzed the rhythm and pacing created by editing, recognizing the power of a single cut to shift the mood or build suspense. And he never underestimated the impact of music, understanding its ability to amplify emotions and create a sense of atmosphere. These elements weren’t secondary; they were integral parts of the film's overall impact, the subtle brushstrokes that painted the cinematic masterpiece.

IV. The Director's Vision: How Ebert Identified and Interpreted the Director's Artistic Choices

Ebert recognized that each film was a reflection of the director's vision. He understood that directors, like painters, had their own unique styles and techniques. He would painstakingly examine a film to identify the director's artistic choices, understanding the conscious and unconscious decisions that shaped the final product. He wasn’t just summarizing the plot; he was exploring the director's creative process, their artistic intent, and how successfully they translated their vision to the screen. This approach elevated his reviews beyond mere summaries into insightful explorations of artistic expression.

V. The "Great" vs. the "Bad": Ebert's Criteria for Judging Cinematic Success

What made a film "great" in Ebert's eyes? It wasn’t just about box-office success or critical acclaim; it was about the film's overall effectiveness. He looked for originality, emotional resonance, and technical skill. A “bad” film, conversely, often lacked these elements – it might be poorly written, technically flawed, or simply fail to engage the audience emotionally. But even in his critiques of less successful films, Ebert’s analyses were insightful, revealing the underlying reasons for their failures. He was as keen to expose flaws as he was to celebrate successes.

VI. Ebert's Legacy: The Lasting Impact of His Critical Approach

Roger Ebert’s influence on film criticism is undeniable. His insightful and accessible style inspired a generation of critics and film lovers. His ability to dissect a film's inner workings, to articulate its strengths and weaknesses with clarity and grace, left an enduring legacy. His writing wasn’t just about evaluating movies; it was about understanding and appreciating the art of filmmaking. He made film criticism a captivating art form in its own right.

Conclusion:

Examining the "anatomy of a fall," through the lens of Roger Ebert's critical genius, reveals a deep appreciation for the intricate mechanics of filmmaking. His work wasn't just about critiquing movies; it was about educating viewers on the art itself. He showed us how to see beyond the surface, to understand the conscious and unconscious choices that create a cinematic experience. This understanding elevates our own appreciation of the art form.

FAQs:

Q: Was Roger Ebert always positive in his reviews? A: No, Ebert was known for his honest and sometimes harsh critiques, but even his negative reviews were insightful and well-reasoned.

Q: How did Ebert's background influence his criticism? A: His background as a journalist and his deep love for cinema shaped his unique approach, blending insightful analysis with accessible language.

Q: Where can I find more of Ebert's writing? A: You can find a vast archive of his reviews and essays online through various sources, including his official website (though some content may require a subscription).

Related Keywords:

Roger Ebert, film criticism, movie review, cinematic analysis, film theory, narrative structure, cinematography, editing, film music, director's vision, great films, bad films, film analysis techniques, Roger Ebert reviews, Ebert's legacy, how to analyze a movie.

  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Roger Ebert's Book of Film Roger Ebert, 1997 The Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic assembles and introduces more than one hundred essays and articles about film, with entries by and about movie stars, famous directors, industry executives, and critics. Tour.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Your Movie Sucks Roger Ebert, 2007-03-01 A collection of some of the Pulitzer Prize–winning film critic’s most scathing reviews, from Alex & Emma to the remake of Yours, Mine, and Ours. From Roger’s review of Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo (0 stars): “The movie created a spot of controversy in February 2005. According to a story by Larry Carroll of MTV News, Rob Schneider took offense when Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times listed this year's Best Picture nominees and wrote that they were 'ignored, unloved, and turned down flat by most of the same studios that . . . bankroll hundreds of sequels, including a follow-up to Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo, a film that was sadly overlooked at Oscar time because apparently nobody had the foresight to invent a category for Best Running Penis Joke Delivered by a Third-Rate Comic.' Schneider retaliated by attacking Goldstein in full-page ads in Daily Variety and the Hollywood Reporter. In an open letter to Goldstein, Schneider wrote: “Well, Mr. Goldstein, I decided to do some research to find out what awards you have won. I went online and found that you have won nothing. Absolutely nothing. No journalistic awards of any kind . . . . Maybe you didn’t win a Pulitzer Prize because they haven’t invented a category for Best Third-Rate, Unfunny Pompous Reporter Who’s Never Been Acknowledged by His Peers . . . .” Schneider was nominated for a 2000 Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actor but lost to Jar-Jar Binks. But Schneider is correct, and Patrick Goldstein has not yet won a Pulitzer Prize. Therefore, Goldstein is not qualified to complain that Columbia financed Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo while passing on the opportunity to participate in Million Dollar Baby, Ray, The Aviator, Sideways, and Finding Neverland. As chance would have it, I have won the Pulitzer Prize, and so I am qualified. Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks.” Roger Ebert’s I Hated Hated Hated This Movie, which gathered some of his most scathing reviews, was a bestseller. This collection continues the tradition, reviewing not only movies that were at the bottom of the barrel, but also movies that he found underneath the barrel.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007 Roger Ebert, 2013-02-05 The most-trusted film critic in America. --USA Today Roger Ebert actually likes movies. It's a refreshing trait in a critic, and not as prevalent as you'd expect. --Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle America's favorite movie critic assesses the year's films from Brokeback Mountain to Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007 is perfect for film aficionados the world over. Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2007 includes every review by Ebert written in the 30 months from January 2004 through June 2006-about 650 in all. Also included in the Yearbook, which is about 65 percent new every year, are: Interviews with newsmakers such as Philip Seymour Hoffman, Terrence Howard, Stephen Spielberg, Ang Lee, and Heath Ledger, Nicolas Cage, and more. All the new questions and answers from his Questions for the Movie Answer Man columns. Daily film festival coverage from Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, and Telluride. Essays on film issues and tributes to actors and directors who died during the year.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Tom Cruise: Anatomy of an Actor Amy Nicholson, 2014-07-28 The Anatomy of an Actor series takes ten roles by a single actor, each studied in a dedicated chapter, and identifies the key elements that made the performances exceptional - carefully examining the actor's craft for both a professional audience and movie fans alike. Tom Cruise (born 1962), first cast by Francis Ford Coppola in The Outsiders (1983), gained international notoriety in the mid-1980s thanks to Tony Scott's Top Gun (1986). One of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood, Cruise has oriented his career to blockbusters, starring in Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005) and the Mission: Impossible series (1996, 2000, 2006, 2011) An accessible text combines both a narrative and analytical dimension and is illustrated by 300 film stills, set photographs and film sequences.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2006 Roger Ebert, 2005-11 Now fully updated, this annual yearbook includes every review Ebert had written from January 2007 to July 2009. It also includes interviews, essays, tributes, and all-new questions and answers from his Questions for the Movie Answer Man columns.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock: An Anatomy of the Master of Suspense Edward White, 2021-04-13 Winner of the 2022 Edgar Award for Best Biography An Economist Best Book of 2021 A fresh, innovative biography of the twentieth century’s most iconic filmmaker. In The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock, Edward White explores the Hitchcock phenomenon—what defines it, how it was invented, what it reveals about the man at its core, and how its legacy continues to shape our cultural world. The book’s twelve chapters illuminate different aspects of Hitchcock’s life and work: “The Boy Who Couldn’t Grow Up”; “The Murderer”; “The Auteur”; “The Womanizer”; “The Fat Man”; “The Dandy”; “The Family Man”; “The Voyeur”; “The Entertainer”; “The Pioneer”; “The Londoner”; “The Man of God.” Each of these angles reveals something fundamental about the man he was and the mythological creature he has become, presenting not just the life Hitchcock lived but also the various versions of himself that he projected, and those projected on his behalf. From Hitchcock’s early work in England to his most celebrated films, White astutely analyzes Hitchcock’s oeuvre and provides new interpretations. He also delves into Hitchcock’s ideas about gender; his complicated relationships with “his women”—not only Grace Kelly and Tippi Hedren but also his female audiences—as well as leading men such as Cary Grant, and writes movingly of Hitchcock’s devotion to his wife and lifelong companion, Alma, who made vital contributions to numerous classic Hitchcock films, and burnished his mythology. And White is trenchant in his assessment of the Hitchcock persona, so carefully created that Hitchcock became not only a figurehead for his own industry but nothing less than a cultural icon. Ultimately, White’s portrayal illuminates a vital truth: Hitchcock was more than a Hollywood titan; he was the definitive modern artist, and his significance reaches far beyond the confines of cinema.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Are Snakes Necessary? Brian De Palma, Susan Lehman, 2020-03-29 It's like having a new Brian De Palma picture. – Martin Scorsese, Academy Award-winning director FROM THE DIRECTOR OF SCARFACE AND DRESSED TO KILL -- A FEMALE REVENGE STORY When the beautiful young videographer offered to join his campaign, Senator Lee Rogers should've known better. But saying no would have taken a stronger man than Rogers, with his ailing wife and his robust libido. Enter Barton Brock, the senator's fixer. He's already gotten rid of one troublesome young woman -- how hard could this new one turn out to be? Pursued from Washington D.C. to the streets of Paris, 18-year-old Fanny Cours knows her reputation and budding career are on the line. But what she doesn't realize is that her life might be as well...
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Brehe's Grammar Anatomy Steven Brehe, 2018-12-31 Brehe's Grammar Anatomy makes grammar accessible to general and specialist readers alike. This book provides an in-depth look at beginner grammar terms and concepts, providing clear examples with limited technical jargon. Whether for academic or personal use, Brehe's Grammar Anatomy is the perfect addition to any resource library.Features:Practice exercises at the end of each chapter, with answers in the back of the book, to help students test and correct their comprehensionFull glossary and index with cross-referencesEasy-to-read language supports readers at every learning stage
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Deadly Class #40 Rick Remender, 2019-09-25 BONE MACHINE, Part One (of Four) Another year comes to a close. The Sophomore exam draws near.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: The Anatomy of Fascism Robert O. Paxton, 2007-12-18 What is fascism? By focusing on the concrete: what the fascists did, rather than what they said, the esteemed historian Robert O. Paxton answers this question. From the first violent uniformed bands beating up “enemies of the state,” through Mussolini’s rise to power, to Germany’s fascist radicalization in World War II, Paxton shows clearly why fascists came to power in some countries and not others, and explores whether fascism could exist outside the early-twentieth-century European setting in which it emerged. A deeply intelligent and very readable book. . . . Historical analysis at its best. –The Economist The Anatomy of Fascism will have a lasting impact on our understanding of modern European history, just as Paxton’s classic Vichy France redefined our vision of World War II. Based on a lifetime of research, this compelling and important book transforms our knowledge of fascism–“the major political innovation of the twentieth century, and the source of much of its pain.”
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Information Theory, Inference and Learning Algorithms David J. C. MacKay, 2003-09-25 Information theory and inference, taught together in this exciting textbook, lie at the heart of many important areas of modern technology - communication, signal processing, data mining, machine learning, pattern recognition, computational neuroscience, bioinformatics and cryptography. The book introduces theory in tandem with applications. Information theory is taught alongside practical communication systems such as arithmetic coding for data compression and sparse-graph codes for error-correction. Inference techniques, including message-passing algorithms, Monte Carlo methods and variational approximations, are developed alongside applications to clustering, convolutional codes, independent component analysis, and neural networks. Uniquely, the book covers state-of-the-art error-correcting codes, including low-density-parity-check codes, turbo codes, and digital fountain codes - the twenty-first-century standards for satellite communications, disk drives, and data broadcast. Richly illustrated, filled with worked examples and over 400 exercises, some with detailed solutions, the book is ideal for self-learning, and for undergraduate or graduate courses. It also provides an unparalleled entry point for professionals in areas as diverse as computational biology, financial engineering and machine learning.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Tarantula Thierry Jonquet, 2011-12-31 Richard Lafargue is an eminent plastic surgeon haunted by dirty secrets. He has an operating theatre in the basement of his chateau and keeps his partner Eve imprisoned in her bedroom, a room he has equipped with an intercom and 300-watt speakers through which he bellows orders. Eve is only allowed out to be paraded at cocktail parties and on the last Sunday of each month, when the couple visit a young woman in a mental asylum. Following these outings, Lafargue humiliates Eve by forcing her to perform lewd sexual acts with strangers while he watches through a one-way mirror. In alternating chapters, Jonquet introduces seemingly unrelated characters - a criminal on the run after murdering a policeman, and an abducted young man who finds himself chained naked in a dark chamber, forced to endure all manner of physical torture at the hands of a mysterious stranger, whom he calls Mygale, after a type of tropical spider. All of these characters are caught in a deceitful web, waiting to meet their fate.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Roger Ebert's Movie Yearbook 2004 Roger Ebert, 2003 Featuring every review Ebert wrote from January 2001 to mid-June 2003, this treasury also includes his essays, interviews, film festival reports, and In Memoriams, along with his famous star ratings.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Movie Freak Owen Gleiberman, 2016-02-23 Entertainment Weekly's controversial critic of more than two decades looks back at a life told through the films he loved and loathed. Owen Gleiberman has spent his life watching movies-first at the drive-in, where his parents took him to see wildly inappropriate adult fare like Rosemary's Baby when he was a wide-eyed 9 year old, then as a possessed cinemaniac who became a film critic right out of college. In Movie Freak, his enthrallingly candid, funny, and eye-opening memoir, Gleiberman captures what it's like to live life through the movies, existing in thrall to a virtual reality that becomes, over time, more real than reality itself. Gleiberman paints a bittersweet portrait of his complicated and ultimately doomed friendship with Pauline Kael, the legendary New Yorker film critic who was his mentor and muse. He also offers an unprecedented inside look at what the experience of being a critic is really all about, detailing his stint at The Boston Phoenix and then, starting in 1990, at EW, where he becomes a voice of obsession battling-to a fault-to cling to his independence. Gleiberman explores the movies that shaped him, from the films that first made him want to be a critic (Nashville and Carrie), to what he hails as the sublime dark trilogy of the 1980s (Blue Velvet, Sid and Nancy, and Manhunter), to the scruffy humanity of Dazed and Confused, to the brilliant madness of Natural Born Killers, to the transcendence of Breaking the Waves, to the pop rapture of Moulin Rouge! He explores his partnership with Lisa Schwarzbaum and his friendships and encounters with such figures as Oliver Stone, Russell Crowe, Richard Linklater, and Ben Affleck. He also writes with confessional intimacy about his romantic relationships and how they echoed the behavior of his bullying, philandering father. And he talks about what film criticism is becoming in the digital age: a cacophony of voices threatened by an insidious new kind of groupthink. Ultimately, Movie Freak is about the primal pleasure of film and the enigmatic dynamic between critic and screen. For Gleiberman, the moving image has a talismanic power, but it also represents a kind of sweet sickness, a magnificent obsession that both consumes and propels him.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Down and Dirty Pictures Peter Biskind, 2004 The author of the sensational classic Easy Riders, Raging Bulls delivers anastute account of how film powerhouses Miramax and Sundance nurtured and thentransformed independent filmmaking, changing the face of Hollywood. ofphotos.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: The Monstrous-Feminine Barbara Creed, 2015-09-04 In almost all critical writings on the horror film, woman is conceptualised only as victim. In The Monstrous-Feminine Barbara Creed challenges this patriarchal view by arguing that the prototype of all definitions of the monstrous is the female reproductive body.With close reference to a number of classic horror films including the Alien trilogy, T
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: The Great Movies IV Roger Ebert, 2016-09-28 Previous versions of these essays have appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, 1997, 1999, 2006, and 2009-2013.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Fun City Cinema Jason Bailey, 2021-10-26 A visual history of 100 years of filmmaking in New York City, featuring exclusive interviews with NYC filmmakers Fun City Cinema gives readers an in-depth look at how the rise, fall, and resurrection of New York City was captured and chronicled in ten iconic Gotham films across ten decades: The Jazz Singer (1927), King Kong (1933), The Naked City (1948), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Midnight Cowboy (1969), Taxi Driver (1976), Wall Street (1987), Kids (1995), 25th Hour (2002), and Frances Ha (2012). A visual history of a great American city in flux, Fun City Cinema reveals how these classic films and legendary filmmakers took their inspiration from New York City’s grittiness and splendor, creating what we can now view as “accidental documentaries” of the city’s modes and moods. In addition to the extensively researched and reported text, the book includes both historical photographs and production materials, as well as still-frames, behind-the-scenes photos, posters, and original interviews with Noah Baumbach, Larry Clark, Greta Gerwig, Walter Hill, Jerry Schatzberg, Martin Scorsese, Susan Seidelman, Oliver Stone, and Jennifer Westfeldt. Extensive Now Playing sidebars spotlight a handful of each decade’s additional films of note.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Made Men Glenn Kenny, 2020-09-15 A revealing look at the making of Martin Scorsese’s iconic mob movie and its enduring legacy, featuring interviews with its legendary cast. When Goodfellas first hit the theatres in 1990, a classic was born. Few could anticipate the unparalleled influence it would have on pop culture, one that would inspire future filmmakers and redefine the gangster picture as we know it today. From the rush of grotesque violence in the opening scene to the iconic hilarity of Joe Pesci’s endlessly quoted “Funny how?” shtick, it’s little wonder the film is widely regarded as a mainstay in contemporary cinema. In the first ever behind-the-scenes story of Goodfellas, film critic Glenn Kenny chronicles the making and afterlife of the film that introduced the real modern gangster. Featuring interviews with the film’s major players, including Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, Made Men shines a light on the lives and stories wrapped up in the Goodfellas universe, and why its enduring legacy has such a hold on American culture. A Library Journal Best Book of the Year A Sight and Sound Best Film Book of 2020
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Horror after 9/11 Aviva Briefel, Sam J. Miller, 2012-08-24 Horror films have exploded in popularity since the tragic events of September 11, 2001, many of them breaking box-office records and generating broad public discourse. These films have attracted A-list talent and earned award nods, while at the same time becoming darker, more disturbing, and increasingly apocalyptic. Why has horror suddenly become more popular, and what does this say about us? What do specific horror films and trends convey about American society in the wake of events so horrific that many pundits initially predicted the death of the genre? How could American audiences, after tasting real horror, want to consume images of violence on screen? Horror after 9/11 represents the first major exploration of the horror genre through the lens of 9/11 and the subsequent transformation of American and global society. Films discussed include the Twilight saga; the Saw series; Hostel; Cloverfield; 28 Days Later; remakes of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Dawn of the Dead, and The Hills Have Eyes; and many more. The contributors analyze recent trends in the horror genre, including the rise of 'torture porn,' the big-budget remakes of classic horror films, the reinvention of traditional monsters such as vampires and zombies, and a new awareness of visual technologies as sites of horror in themselves. The essays examine the allegorical role that the horror film has held in the last ten years, and the ways that it has been translating and reinterpreting the discourses and images of terror into its own cinematic language.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: The Dardenne Brothers’ Cinematic Parables Joel Mayward, 2022-09-30 The Dardenne Brothers’ Cinematic Parables examines the work of Belgian filmmakers Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, who have been celebrated for their powerfully affecting social realist films. Though the Dardenne brothers’ films rarely mention religion or God, they have received wide recognition for their moral complexity and spiritual resonance. This book brings the Dardennes’ filmography into consideration with theological aesthetics, Christian ethics, phenomenological film theory, and continental philosophy. The author explores the brothers’ nine major films—beginning with The Promise (1996) and culminating in Young Ahmed (2019)—through the hermeneutics of philosopher Paul Ricoeur. By using Ricoeur’s description of parable as a narrative-metaphor which generates an existential limit-experience, Joel Mayward crafts an innovative Ricoeurian hermeneutic for making theological interpretations of cinema. Drawing upon resources from three disciplinary spheres—theology, philosophy, and film studies—in a dynamic interweaving approach, Mayward proposes that the Dardennes create postsecular cinematic parables which evoke theological and ethical responses in audiences’ imaginations through the brothers’ distinctive filmmaking style, what is termed transcendent realism. The book ultimately demonstrates how the Dardenne brothers are truly doing, not merely depicting, theology and ethics through the cinematic form—it presents film as theology, what Mayward refers to as theocinematics. This is valuable reading for scholars of theology, philosophy, and film studies, as well as film critics and cinephiles interested in the cinema of the Dardenne brothers.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Storytelling in the New Hollywood Kristin Thompson, 1999-11-05 Drawing on a wide range of films from the 1920s to the 1990s—from Keaton’s Our Hospitality to Casablanca to Terminator 2, Kristin Thompson offers the first in-depth analysis of Hollywood’s storytelling techniques and how they are used to make complex, easily comprehensible, entertaining films.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Fade to Lack Jonathan R. Lack, Shannon Wheeler, 2013-03-08 Superheroes. 3D. Digital projection. The world of modern film is in a constant state of flux, and in a career that began at the age of ten in the pages of The Denver Post, critic Jonathan R. Lack has spent his adolescence and beyond writing about it all. Featuring over 50 full reviews, numerous in-depth analytical essays, and major, multi-chapter explorations of recent pop culture phenomena like Harry Potter, Twilight, and The Hunger Games, Fade to Lack – named for the author's weekly print column in The Denver Post's 'YourHub' section – offers an entertaining and insightful survey of contemporary American film, filtered through the journey of a critic who grew up studying this fascinating, evolving medium.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Not According to Plan Maria Belodubrovskaya, 2017-10-15 In Not According to Plan, Maria Belodubrovskaya reveals the limits on the power of even the most repressive totalitarian regimes to create and control propaganda. Belodubrovskaya's revisionist account of Soviet filmmaking between 1930 and 1953 highlights the extent to which the Soviet film industry remained stubbornly artisanal in its methods, especially in contrast to the more industrial approach of the Hollywood studio system. Not According to Plan shows that even though Josef Stalin recognized cinema as a mighty instrument of mass agitation and propaganda and strove to harness the Soviet film industry to serve the state, directors such as Eisenstein, Alexandrov, and Pudovkin had far more creative control than did party-appointed executives and censors.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: The Twilight of American Culture Morris Berman, 2001-06-17 An emerging cult classic about America's cultural meltdown—and a surprising solution. A prophetic examination of Western decline, The Twilight of American Culture provides one of the most caustic and surprising portraits of American society to date. Whether examining the corruption at the heart of modern politics, the Rambification of popular entertainment, or the collapse of our school systems, Morris Berman suspects that there is little we can do as a society to arrest the onset of corporate Mass Mind culture. Citing writers as diverse as de Toqueville and DeLillo, he cogently argues that cultural preservation is a matter of individual conscience, and discusses how classical learning might triumph over political correctness with the rise of a a new monastic individual—a person who, much like the medieval monk, is willing to retreat from conventional society in order to preserve its literary and historical treasures. Brilliantly observant, deeply thoughtful ....lucidly argued.—Christian Science Monitor
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Underexposed! Josh Hull, PosterSpy, 2021-05-25 The untold stories behind the 50 greatest movies never made, illustrated by 50 new and original posters Foreword by Fred Dekker For most films, it’s a long, strange road from concept to screen, and sometimes those roads lead to dead ends. In Underexposed! The 50 Greatest Movies Never Made, screenwriter and filmmaker Joshua Hull guides readers through development hell. With humor and reverence, Hull details the speed bumps and roadblocks that kept these films from ever reaching the silver screen. From the misguided and rejected, like Stanley Kubrick’s Lord of the Rings starring the Beatles; to films that changed hands and pulled a U-turn in development, like Steven Spielberg’s planned Oldboy adaptation starring Will Smith; to would-be masterpieces that might still see the light of day, like Guillermo del Toro’s In the Mountains of Madness, Hull discusses plotlines, rumored casting, and more. To help bring these lost projects to life, 50 artists from around the world, in association with the online art collective PosterSpy, have contributed original posters that accompany each essay and give a glimpse of what might have been.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Taiwan Film Directors Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh, Darrell William Davis, 2005 The year 2003 marked the fiftieth anniversary of James Watson's and Francis Crick's discovery of the structure of DNA, which began a revolution in the biological sciences and radically altered the way humans view life and themselves. In this poetic account Erwin Fleissner, an eminent cancer researcher and teacher, offers a personal and professional reflection on the most significant developments in molecular genetics and cell biology over the past fifty years. Vital Harmonies is a sweeping look at these crucial scientific advances and an insider's perspective on what scientists have actually learned from them. Contrasting the humanistic side of scientific research with more deterministic or mechanical explanations of life processes, Fleissner discusses everything from natural selection to the tradition of rational inquiry stemming from the Enlightenment. He goes on to describe the structures of macromolecules and their organizing principles as well as cancer genes, stem cells, and the Human Genome Project. He also explores neuronal cells and the emergence of consciousness and how biological evolution is the foundation of our personal reality as well as our global responsibility. Fleissner asserts that scientific investigations cannot negate our essential humanness nor should the public fear them. Taking an optimistic perspective, he argues that a deeper knowledge of ourselves as biological entities will provide us, ultimately, with greater health, serenity, and self-knowledge. Vital Harmonies gives readers, whatever their background, an engaging analysis of some of the most important questions facing humanity today.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Otto Preminger Gary Bettinson, 2021-11-15 Otto Preminger (1905–1986), whose Hollywood career spanned the 1930s through the 1970s, is popularly remembered for the acclaimed films he directed, among which are the classic film noir Laura, the social-realist melodrama The Man with the Golden Arm, the CinemaScope musical Carmen Jones, and the riveting courtroom drama Anatomy of a Murder. As a screen actor, he forged an indelible impression as a sadistic Nazi in Billy Wilder’s Stalag 17 and as the diabolical Mr. Freeze in television’s Batman. He is remembered, too, for drastically transforming Hollywood’s industrial practices. With Exodus, Preminger broke the Hollywood blacklist, controversially granting screen credit to Dalton Trumbo, one of the exiled “Hollywood Ten.” Preminger, a committed liberal, consistently shattered Hollywood’s conventions. He routinely tackled socially progressive yet risqué subject matter, pressing the Production Code’s limits of permissibility. He mounted Black-cast musicals at a period of intense racial unrest. And he embraced a string of other taboo topics—heroin addiction, rape, incest, homosexuality—that established his reputation as a trailblazer of adult-centered storytelling, an enemy of Hollywood puritanism, and a crusader against censorship. Otto Preminger: Interviews compiles nineteen interviews from across Preminger’s career, providing fascinating insights into the methods and mindset of a wildly polarizing filmmaker. With remarkable candor, Preminger discusses his filmmaking practices, his distinctive film style, his battles against censorship and the Hollywood blacklist, his clashes with film critics, and his turbulent relationships with a host of well-known stars, from Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra to Jane Fonda and John Wayne.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Film Theory Thomas Elsaesser, Malte Hagener, 2015-03-12 What is the relationship between cinema and spectator? This is the key question for film theory, and one that Thomas Elsaesser and Malte Hagener put at the center of their insightful and engaging book, now revised from its popular first edition. Every kind of cinema (and every film theory) first imagines an ideal spectator, and then maps certain dynamic interactions between the screen and the spectator’s mind, body and senses. Using seven distinctive configurations of spectator and screen that move progressively from ‘exterior’ to ‘interior’ relationships, the authors retrace the most important stages of film theory from its beginnings to the present—from neo-realist and modernist theories to psychoanalytic, ‘apparatus,’ phenomenological and cognitivist theories, and including recent cross-overs with philosophy and neurology. This new and updated edition of Film Theory: An Introduction through the Senses has been extensively revised and rewritten throughout, incorporating discussion of contemporary films like Her and Gravity, and including a greatly expanded final chapter, which brings film theory fully into the digital age.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Film Maria Pramaggiore, Tom Wallis, 2008-07-31 Film: A Critical Introduction provides a comprehensive framework for studying films, with an emphasis on writing as a means of exploring film's aesthetic and cultural significance. This text's consistent and comprehensive focus on writing allows students to master film vocabulary and concepts while learning to formulate rich interpretations. Part I introduces readers to the importance of film analysis, offering helpful strategies for discerning the way films produce meaning. Part II examines the fundamental elements of film, including narrative form, mise en scene, cinematography, editing, and sound, and shows how these concepts can be used to interpret films. Part III moves beyond textual analysis to explore film as a cultural institution and introduce students to essential areas of film studies research.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Talking Pictures Ann Hornaday, 2017-06-13 A veteran film critic offers a lively, opinionated guide to thinking and talking about movies -- from Casablanca to Clueless Whether we are trying to impress a date after an art house film screening or discussing Oscar nominations among friends, we all need ways to look at and talk about movies. But with so much variety between an Alfred Hitchcock thriller and a Nora Ephron romantic comedy, how can everyday viewers determine what makes a good movie? In Talking Pictures, veteran film critic Ann Hornaday walks us through the production of a typical movie -- from script and casting to final sound edit -- and explains how to evaluate each piece of the process. How do we know if a film has been well-written, above and beyond snappy dialogue? What constitutes a great screen performance? What goes into praiseworthy cinematography, editing, and sound design? And what does a director really do? In a new epilogue, Hornaday addresses important questions of representation in film and the industry and how this can, and should, effect a movie-watching experience. Full of engaging anecdotes and interviews with actors and filmmakers, Talking Pictures will help us see movies in a whole new light-not just as fans, but as film critics in our own right.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Robert Altman Rick Armstrong, 2014-01-10 The life and work of motion picture director Robert Altman (1925-2006) are interpreted from a variety of perspectives in this collection of essays. Actors, historians, film scholars, and cultural theorists reflect on Altman and his five-decade career and discuss the significance of music, history and genre in his films. Two actors who have appeared in some of the filmmaker's most important works are prominently represented, with a statement from Elliot Gould (MASH, The Long Goodbye, California Split) and an essay by Michael Murphy (McCabe and Mrs. Miller, Nashville, Tanner '88). The collection ends with an essay on the importance of death in the director's final productions The Company (2003) and Prairie Home Companion (2006) by noted Altman scholar Robert T. Self.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Age of Cage Keith Phipps, 2023-03-21 “Age of Cage might be the closest we will get to understanding the singular beauty of each of Nic Cage’s always electric performances. You are holding the Rosetta Stone for Cage. Enjoy it.” —Paul Scheer, actor, writer and host of the How Did This Get Made? and Unspooled podcasts Icon. Celebrity. Artist. Madman. Genius. Nicolas Cage is many things, but love him, or laugh at him, there's no denying two things: you’ve seen one of his many films, and you certainly know his name. But who is he, really, and why has his career endured for over forty years, with more than a hundred films, and birthed a million memes? Age of Cage is a smart, beguiling book about the films of Nicolas Cage and the actor himself, as well as a sharp-eyed examination of the changes that have taken place in Hollywood over the course of his career. Critic and journalist Keith Phipps draws a portrait of the enigmatic icon by looking at—what else?—Cage’s expansive filmography. As Phipps delights in charting Cage’s films, Age of Cage also chronicles the transformation of film, as Cage’s journey takes him through the world of 1980s comedies (Valley Girl, Peggy Sue Got Married, Moonstruck), to the indie films and blockbuster juggernauts of the 1990s (Wild at Heart, Leaving Las Vegas, Face/Off, Con Air), through the wild and unpredictable video-on-demand world of today. Sweeping in scope and intimate in its profile of a fiercely passionate artist, Age of Cage is, like the man himself, surprising, insightful, funny, and one of a kind. So, snap out of it, and enjoy this appreciation of Nicolas Cage, national treasure.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Autumn Sonata Ingmar Bergman, 1978 The plot follows a celebrated classical pianist and her neglected daughter who meet for the first time in years, and chronicles their painful discussions of how they have hurt one another.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Roth and Celebrity Aimee L. Pozorski, 2012-09-20 Roth and Celebrity is composed of 10 original essays that consider the vexed and ambivalent relationship between Philip Roth and his own celebrity as revealed both in personal interviews as well as in the fiction that spans his publishing history. With its simultaneous interest in American popular culture and the work of the most important living American writer to-date, the collection will hold wide appeal to advanced readers in American studies, literary scholarship, and film.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: The Children of Men P. D. James, 2008-11-20 Award-winning P.D. James, one of the masters of British crime fiction, plots this atmospheric and disturbing novel in the year 2021. Children of Men is a brilliant mystery possessing all of the qualities which distinguish P.D. James as a novelist. Under the despotic rule of Xan Lyppiatt, the Warden of England, the old are despairing and the young cruel. Theo Faren, a cousin of the Warden, lives a solitary life in this ominous atmosphere. That is, until a chance encounter with a young woman leads him into contact with a group of dissenters. Suddenly his life is changed irrevocably, as he faces agonising choices which could affect the future of mankind. PD James is the world's pre-eminent crime writer, most famous for her Adam Dalgliesh mysteries and for her bestselling titles Death Comes to Pemberley and The Murder Room. Children of Men was adapted into a hit film in 2006, directed by Alfonso Cuarón the film starred Clive Owen, Michael Caine and Julianne Moore.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Deeper Into Movies Pauline Kael, 1975-01-01
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: The Bloomsbury Handbook to Sofia Coppola Suzanne Ferriss, 2023-01-12 The Bloomsbury Handbook to Sofia Coppola offers the first comprehensive overview of the director's impressive oeuvre. It includes individual chapters on her films, including The Virgin Suicides (1999), Lost in Translation (2003), Marie Antoinette (2006), Somewhere (2010), The Bling Ring (2013), The Beguiled (2017), and On the Rocks (2020). While focused on her films, contributors also consider Coppola's shorter works for television, commercials and music videos, as well as explorations of the distinct elements of her signature style: cinematography, production/costume design, music, and editing. Additional chapters provide insights into the influences on her work, its popular and scholarly reception, and interpretations of key themes and issues. The international team of contributors includes leading scholars of film, music, fashion, celebrity and gender studies, visual and material culture, reception studies, as well as industry professionals. Their interdisciplinary insights capture the complexities of Coppola's work and its cultural significance.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Turkish Cinema Gönül Dönmez-Colin, 2008-11-15 In search of identity -- Migration, dis/misplacement and exile -- Denied identities -- Yilmaz Güney -- Gender, sexuality and morals in transition -- A modern identity or identity in a modern world.
  anatomy of a fall roger ebert: Toxic Nostalgia on Screen Simon Bacon, 2024-12-15 Toxic nostalgia is not a new phenomenon, and instances of an undying past refusing to perish and plaguing the present, can be found throughout history. However, examined in Toxic Nostalgia on Screen, in the early years of the new millennium, it has acquired further meaning and not just applies to a dangerous longing for the past, but a way of being in the present world. Here in our modern time, undead memory is not just a remembrance of the past that is visited upon the present with negative implications, but the embodiment of monstrous imagined histories and ideologies that dictate the way we live today so that tomorrow is not the future, but a never-ending return to the past.