Film critics are responsible for honesty; And most people in the seventh art consider them responsible for informing moviegoers whether they should part with their hard-earned money or not. This is from the climax of the story.Siskel and EbertAnd there has been a wave of reviews of these two on TV until the advent of Rotten Tomatoes. Over the decades, there have been many film critics who have had a special influence on the world of film, and each of them has a name and ability worth mentioning. Each of these critics has left a lasting impression on moviegoers around the world and has had a direct impact on the film itself. Now we at Vigiato want to introduce the best film critics in the history of cinema in this article.
Joe Morgenstern
Writing as a film critic for Newsweek for almost twenty years, Joe Morgenstern quickly made a name for himself as an authoritative film critic. He also wrote for the Wall Street Journal for almost thirty more years. Morgenstern received the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Film and Television Criticism.
One of his claims to fame during his tenure at Newsweek magazine is that he wrote a negative review of the movie Bonnie and Clyde, but after careful review, published a retraction of his previous review in the next issue of the magazine. This incident served as a great marketing opportunity for that particular film, noting that it caused a well-known film critic to change his opinion about the film’s quality.
Mark Kermode
Critic, musician, radio and podcast host, whose opinions and voice have been widely published, Mark Kermode is a name familiar to many moviegoers. Kermode began his career as a film critic at Manchester’s City Life magazine before moving on to Time Out and NME in London. He has also written many reviews and articles about cinema for Empire and some other well-known magazines.
In addition to his truly prolific writing career, Kermode is also a double bass player and has played in various rockabilly bands. In 2013, Kermode became the chief film critic for The Observer. It is interesting to know that this critic is a lover of the horror genre and his opinions about horror works are noticed by many audiences. In 2014, he named The Babadook as the best film of the year. Also, his favorite movie is “The Exorcist”.
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris loved watching movies. Writing for magazines, and learning about film and cinema culture, and then finally writing readable and interesting reviews was the peak that this film critic experienced during his career. Film writers and critics were in their field. Eventually, he wrote for The New York Observer and then taught as a film professor at Columbia University until retiring in 2011, a year before his death.
Sarris was married to his fellow film critic, Molly Haskell. Sarris claimed that for thirty years, if anyone asked him what his favorite movie was, his answer was unmistakably: “Madame de’s Earrings…” by Max Ophuls. Saris always referred to this film as the most complete film made in the history of cinema.
James Agee
James Agee was a novelist, journalist and poet, screenwriter and of course a film critic. In the 1940s, he became one of the most famous film critics by writing film articles for Time magazine. He also wrote many articles for Fortune, The Nation and Life Magazine.
In 1958, he posthumously received a Pulitzer Prize for his autobiographical novel, A Death in the Family. In addition, he is known as the screenwriter of such classic films as The African Queen and Night of the Hunter.
André Bazin
André Bazen was a prominent film and cinema critic and theoretician in his short and unseasonable life. As one of the founders of the film magazine Cahiers du cinema, he regularly provided fascinating literary reviews and feedback on the films of that era.
Bazin’s passion for realism was often at odds with other film and cinema theorists of his time. But this influential voice was soon silenced when Bazin died of leukemia in 1958 at the age of 40.
Molly Haskell
Molly Haskell, a writer and film critic with a feminist orientation, has been active in this field since the 1960s. Writing for publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Esquire, and many others, he has built a legacy as one of the world’s most influential critics. His most famous book is the harrowing and remarkable Respect to Rape: The Treatment of Women in Cinema.
In addition to film and theater criticism for decades, he is a prolific writer with more than half a dozen books on film and cinema criticism. It is interesting to know that in 2019, he became a member of the year of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Francois Truffaut
Francois Truffaut was not only a respected and influential film critic, but also a director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is known as one of the founders of the new wave of French cinema and remains one of the biggest icons of the French film industry to this day.
His career in cinema is indicative of his success and of course his identity. Truffaut served as a director for over twenty films, an actor in over fifteen, and a producer on at least five. He has more than a dozen books written under his name. Do not forget that “Hitchcock/Truffaut” of his writings is an essential book for all film and cinema fans in the world.
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an accomplished writer who served as chief critic for The New York Times from the late 1960s to the early 1990s, and from 1994 until his death in 2000, their chief theater critic. Before the Times, he briefly wrote reviews for the Chicago Trade Journal, then spent another brief stint as a film critic at Variety.
Canby was known as a patron of filmmakers with a particular style, such as Stanley Kubrick, Spike Lee and Woody Allen. Additionally, he had a very negative view of generally acclaimed films like Flaming Saddles, Rocky, Rain Man, etc. Whether you agree with his views or not, Kanbi was truly a master of words and will forever be remembered in the world of film and theater.
Leonard Maltin
Film critic, writer and editor, guest and host of podcast, prominent TV presenter… and Guinness record holder?! Yes, Leonard Maltin holds the world record for the shortest film review, which includes his review of 1948’s Isn’t It Romantic, in which he simply said, “No.”
Lending his voice on South Park and The Simpsons (he also starred in Gremlins 2) and writing or editing more than 20 books, Maltin has not only become a famous writer in the history of critical literature, but a beloved one. It was received and honored by the American National Board of Review, Telluride Film Festival, Los Angeles City Council and many other institutions.
Gene Siskel
Gene Siskel was an American film critic and a journalist for the Chicago Tribune. He worked between 1969 and 1999. From 1975 until his death in 1999, he co-hosted a series of film review programs on television with his colleague Roger Ebert. This critic has a long history of giving his opinions about movies to the world. He began his career writing for the Chicago Tribune in 1969. From there, he hosted a talk show with Roger Ebert until his death in 1999.
In 1998, Siskel was diagnosed with a brain tumor and immediately underwent surgery to remove it. Despite a short-lived return to the show, in February 1999, she decided to take time off to allow herself to recover, but succumbed to complications three days later. His legacy will forever and always be the same on both sides of friends and fans of cinema and his writings.
Pauline Kael
A well-known film critic before any other film critic, Pauline Keel was one of the most influential film writers and critics of her time. He was known as a witty, biting, and openly thoughtful critic, but he remained focused on making his voice heard. He was known for his regular opposition to his contemporary filmmakers.
Writing for The New Yorker for more than twenty years, Kiel made a lasting impression on critics across generations. Despite being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the 1980s, he continued to write for The New Yorker until 1991, when he announced his retirement. It is interesting to know that, according to some, Tarantino’s latest film, “Film Critic”, which takes place in 1977, may have something to do with Pauline Keel.
Roger Ebert
When it comes to film critics, the single most recognizable name is the truly unforgettable and inspiring Roger Ebert. His work spanned nearly half a century, and his influence continued long after his death in 2013. He paved the way for almost every critic who wrote about film and cinema.
Whether he was writing for the Chicago Sun-Times or hosting his popular television series sharing his thoughts on film, Ebert was always a global treasure around film-watching and film-criticism. He was the first film critic to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1975. While he may be gone now, his name and pen will never be forgotten and he will always be loved for what he brought to the world of film criticism.
