The relevance offilm criticsis often disputed. Even film reviewing platforms like Rotten Tomatoes feel compelled to be inclusive of all lenses of film appreciation by having two kinds of rating systems, where the Tomatometer shows the aggregate of what approved critics think of a film and the audience score is a representative of the audience’s response to a film. There are also separate award shows dedicated to critics-approved films, cementing the fact that the opinion of a critic is only a part of a film’s history and is not the end of all means for a film’s success or failure.
Nevertheless, great film criticism has always proved to remain significant in every serious form of discussion since their work is dedicated to creating an ethnography of great films for all generations which inspires future filmmakers. These 10 great film critics remain most referred to at all times, as they remind the audience of what great cinema is and always will be.
10Vincent Canby
Vincent Canbywas known for his entertaining and conversational style of reviewing a film. His matter-of-fact way of describing mediocre films and an equally eloquent way of appreciating good ones made his work a satisfying read. Canby was the chief film critic for theNew York Timesfrom 1969 to the early 1990s, and later became the theater film critic of the same publication. His reviews were popular among various filmmakers,such as Woody Allen.
Canby was particularly an admirer of filmmakers such as Stanley Kubrick, Spike Lee, James Ivory, and Woody Allen. Allen reflected that Canby’s review of his filmTake the Money and Runinfluenced his career. Canby sometimes wrote his reviews from the perspective of a Hollywood producer named Stanley, which he created to satirize the film industry in the 1990s. He was also notably critical of films that were praised highly by his peers, such asRocky,Night of the Living Dead,One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,Deliverance,andThe Godfather II.
9Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley Kauffmannstarted his film criticism journey with theNew Republicin 1958 which lead to a 55-year-old career in film criticism ending in 2013. He also contributed as the drama critic for the New York Times in 1966. Kauffmann was an advocate of foreign cinema, and he popularized theworks of Ingmar Bergman, Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabrol and Yashuziro Ozu in America. His work inspired future film critics such as Roger Ebert and David Denby.
His diverse experience reflected in his philosophical perspectives in his work. Kaufmann also had unpopular opinions about films that were highly praised for exampleStar Wars,Raiders of the Lost Ark,The Godfather,Pulp Fiction,Million Dollar Baby,Gone with the Wind, and2001 A Space Odyssey.Kauffmann worked as an actor, a stage manager, a book editor and wrote philosophic novels before being a film critic. His background as an actor and a writer made him stand apart in his criticism, as his reviews also included nuggets of film tutorials and could be read as a work of literary significance.
8Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltinstarted his film journalism career at the early age of 15 writing for publications such asClassic Imagesand his own fanzineFilm Fan Monthly. He pursued his degree in journalism from New York University and then published articles in numerous journals newspapers and magazines includingVarietyandDownbeat. Later, Leonard gained popularity by interviewing on a weekly program calledMartin on Movies. For 3 years, he co-hosted the weekly syndicated programHot Ticket,which was produced byEntertainment Tonight.
Matlin became a film writer for hire and has published his work in popular publications such as theNew York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The London Times, Smithsonian, TV Guide Esquire,etc. In 1997, he became a voting member of the National Film Registry, which selects 25 landmark American films every year. He has become a popular Pop Culture figure for his iconic beard and glasses, and has beenreferred to inSouth Park. Maltin’s collection of reviews is compiled in his bookMovie Guide,which has been influential for several film writers while starting their careers
7François Roland Truffaut
The French filmmakerFrançois Roland Truffautwas also a prolific film critic. He started his own film club in 1948 and was greatly influenced by the work of fellow critic Andre Bazin. Truffaut joined the French army, which he disliked. Bazin used his political proximity to get Bazin out of the army and gave him a job as a critic in his magazine,Cahiers du Cinémawhich became a powerful voice of the French New Wave movement. Truffaut was popular for his unpopular opinions and snarky reviews, and was nicknamedThe Gravedigger of French Cinema. He along with Bazin contributed to formulating the Auteur Theory, which refers to the distinct signature of a filmmaker while making a film. The theory was criticized in the beginning, but is today one of the most widely discussed theories in film criticism.
Related:Film History: The French New Wave Explained
6Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarrisgrew in popularity for his writing inThe Village Views,particularly for lauding theworks of Alfred Hitchcock. He later went to Paris and was influenced by the work of the French New Wave after watching Truffaut’sShoot the Piano Playerand Godard’sA Woman is a Woman.Later, Sarris was responsible for popularizing the Auteur Theory, a popular theory coined by French critics and filmmakers, in America. He wrote forThe New York Observertill 2009 and later co-founded the National Society of Film Critics. A collection of essays by critics, filmmakers, and fans were compiled inCitizen Sarris, American Film Critic: Essays in Honor of Andrew Sarriswhichwas edited by Emanuak Levy. Filmmakers such as Martin Scorsese and Peter Bogdanovich contributed to the essay. Sarris’s work has been considered influential to several critics such as Kenneth Turan, K. Hoberman, and Michael Philips.
5Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turanis one of the most widely-read film critics who wrote forthe Los Angeles Timesfrom 1991 to 2020. Turan was known for his unapologetic stone-cold reviews and also his eclectic range of knowledge of world cinema and documentaries. Turan has also written forThe Washington Post andThe Progressive.He famously wrote a negative review of James Cameron’sTitanic,for which Cameron demanded him being fired from his post. The debacle was featured inFor the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism.In his book,Not to Be Missed: Fifty-Four Favorites From a Lifetime of Film,Turan compiles films that he loved growing up and thinks will resonate with the audience. The book blends history and film culture as he recommends films from all genres and ages.
4Pauline Kael
Pauline Kaelwas known for her contributions toThe New Yorkerfrom 1968 to 1991 and was highly regarded for her witty and contrarian opinions. Kael was unique and disruptive in her approach to film commentary and invented a new form of film criticism that was vivid and experimental. Kael was often criticized for disapproving popular films, which eventually led her to lose her position at McCall’s, a leading woman’s magazine. She wrote a review panning the filmThe Sound of MusictitledThe Sound of Money,which raised several eyebrows with the editors of McCall’s.
She was later fired for her relentless spree of giving negative reviews to popular filmssuch asLawrence of Arabia,Dr. Zhivago,andA Hard Day’s Night.Her reputation as a contrarian led to several editors altering her work without her permission atThe New Republic.Her writing style was considered to be too brash for a sophisticated banner likeThe New Yorker. Nevertheless, Kael later received the George Polk Award for her work as a critic for the latter.
3Mark Kermode
Mark Kermodeis known for his work as a regular on BBC Radio 5 LiveKermode and Mayo’s Film Review,which he hosts with radio host Simon Mayo. Kermode was born in July 1963 in Barnet, England, and began his career as a film critic in the 1980s with various publications featuring his work such asThe Guardian, Sight and Sound,and being a regular contributor toThe Observer. Kermode is known for his eloquent and insightful criticism, which is not jargon-heavy and can be accessed by the everyday film viewer. He has written several books such asThe Good, the Bad and the MultiplexandHatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Criticswhich investigate the role and relevance of film criticism in the contemporary film culture.
2Gene Siskel
Eugene Kal Siskel, better known asGene Siskel, is known for his collaboration with fellow popular film critic Roger Ebert. He hosted several series of movie review programs on television from 1975 till his death in 1999 with Ebert. Siskel started his film writing career with theChicago Tribunein 1969 and in 1975 he worked at theOpening Soon at the Theatre Near Youshow with Roger Ebert. The duo stuck together ever since. Siskel’s television career outperformed his print career due to the popularity of his television shows with Ebert. They were known for their professional rivalry, critical argument, and their thumbs up and thumbs down rating system, which became a part of American pop culture. Ironically, Siskel was a true individualist and believed film criticism was a solo pursuit, even though his career skyrocketed following his professional camaraderie with Ebert.
Related:A Look at What Siskel & Ebert Called the Worst Movie Ever Made
1Roger Ebert
Roger Ebertis considered to be the most influential film critic who has shaped film criticism in the 21st century. Ebert started his career as a film critic in theChicago Sun Timesin 1967 and contributed to the publication till his death in 2013. Ebert was the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism and the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2005. Ebert stood out from the rest because his critical perspectives complimented with his humanistic and witty views, turning films into an everyday sentiment rather than an unattainable artistic endeavor that only thought elites could pursue.
He was known to be more lenient than most critics but wrote several reviews panning films he despised which were enjoyed by many. He even wrote keeping in mind audiences that were not particularly film fanatics, simplifying films to a larger audience. Furthermore, he was also responsible for popularizing international films to an American audience. His collaboration with Gene Siskel was a highlight of his career, and the duo’s heated arguments made film criticism popular in American pop culture. Ebert was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in 2002 and died in 2013 at the age of 70.
