The lights are a little dimmer tonight. Hollywood has lost one of its biggest
fans. In fact, Roger Ebert
approached movies in a very cerebral way.
One could argue that modern cinematic criticism was built around a
framework that Ebert and Gene Siskel established. And now, sadly they are both no longer with us.
I was a huge fan of Ebert’s work. I remember being a small child, first discovering film and
coming across random episodes of “At the Movies.” I would pay very close attention to the well-thought-out
“thumbs up” or “thumbs down” reviews.
I, of course, wouldn’t take them as gospel. They would serve as mere background foundation to make an informed
decision about which movies to see.
If I really thought I wanted to see a film, a “two thumbs down” review
wouldn’t deter me. There were
times, in fact, when I disagreed with Ebert’s reviews, but more often than not,
he was a respectable barometer whose love of his medium showed through. You could tell he really lived for
those celluloid images. It wasn’t
about building people up or cutting them down. It was about wanting to see excellent movies. Gene Siskel died in 1999, and this was
still the case in later years with Richard Roeper by his side. When you watched “At The Movies” (or any one of his similarly branded shows)or
read one of Ebert’s columns, you knew you were in for a master class on
criticism. The man won a Pulitzer
Prize for an obvious reason.
 |
| Drawing by Allan Raible. |
In fact, when I think about it, Roger Ebert was one of the
reasons I got into criticism in the first place. His love for the movies was a big influence on me. In my case, I write more about music
than movies, but loving both mediums just about equally, in Roger Ebert I still
saw a kindred spirit. He was no
one’s hack. He didn’t mince words
and he wasn’t out for an easily quotable tagline. He was a man who viewed entertainment in a scholarly
way.
I would guess the majority of movie, music and book critics
working today owe a debt of some kind to Roger Ebert. I really hope his reviews will be studied for generations to
come. For more than forty years,
his opinions mattered. So few of
his peers approached the medium with the love and respect he gave. Many try and many leave their marks,
but there will sadly never be another Roger Ebert.
So, dim the lights, sit in the middle of the theatre and
please let’s put out an extra popcorn bucket for Roger. Without him, the cinematic experience
will never be the same.
