Andrew Sarris

Andrew Sarris (1928-2012) was an influential American film critic and leading proponent of the auteur theory in the United States. His work revolutionized film criticism and helped establish film studies as a legitimate academic discipline. Through his seminal 1962 essay "Notes on the Auteur Theory" and his 1968 book "The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968," Sarris introduced and developed the auteur theory for American audiences. The theory posits that the director is the primary creative force behind a film, and that great directors have distinctive styles and themes that persist throughout their work. As the long-time film critic for The Village Voice and later The New York Observer, Sarris wrote extensively about both classic Hollywood cinema and contemporary films. His writing style combined scholarly analysis with accessibility, helping bridge the gap between academic film theory and mainstream criticism. Sarris served as a professor at Columbia University's School of the Arts from 1969 to 2011, where he influenced generations of film critics and scholars. His work and theoretical frameworks continue to impact film criticism and analysis in the contemporary era.

Readers praise Sarris's clear writing style and his ability to analyze films without academic jargon. On Amazon, "The American Cinema" receives particular recognition for organizing directors into categories that help readers explore classic films systematically. Multiple reviewers note how his rankings and evaluations hold up decades later. Readers appreciate: - Detailed historical context for films and directors - Personal anecdotes that enliven the criticism - Accessible explanations of complex film theory Common criticisms: - Some find his categorization of directors too rigid - Occasional readers perceive bias against certain genres - Later works seen as less focused than early criticism Ratings across platforms: Amazon: "The American Cinema" - 4.5/5 (83 reviews) Goodreads: "You Ain't Heard Nothing Yet" - 4.1/5 (47 reviews) "The American Cinema" - 4.3/5 (891 reviews) One reader notes: "His analysis makes you want to watch every film he discusses." Another states: "His passion for cinema comes through on every page without overwhelming his critical judgment."

The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968 (1968) A comprehensive analysis of American film directors, introducing the auteur theory to American film criticism and categorizing directors into hierarchical rankings.

Confessions of a Cultist: On the Cinema, 1955-1969 (1970) A collection of film reviews and essays written during Sarris's early years as a critic for The Village Voice.

The Films of Josef von Sternberg (1966) A critical study of Josef von Sternberg's filmography, examining his visual style and collaborations with Marlene Dietrich.

"You Ain't Heard Nothin' Yet": The American Talking Film, History and Memory, 1927-1949 (1998) An examination of the first two decades of sound in American cinema, analyzing the transition from silent to talking pictures.

Politics and Cinema (1978) An exploration of the relationship between political ideologies and their expression in film throughout cinema history.

The John Ford Movie Mystery (1975) A critical analysis of director John Ford's work and his influence on American western films.

The Primal Screen: Essays on Film and Related Subjects (1973) A compilation of essays examining various aspects of cinema, from specific films to broader cultural impacts.

Pauline Kael wrote film criticism for The New Yorker from 1968 to 1991 and developed comprehensive theories about cinematic art. Like Sarris, she helped establish film criticism as a serious intellectual pursuit through her analyses of auteur theory and director-focused studies.

Robin Wood focused on detailed analysis of Hollywood directors like Hitchcock and Hawks while examining their artistic patterns and themes. He combined psychoanalytic theory with close reading of films in ways that paralleled Sarris's auteurist approach.

François Truffaut started as a film critic before becoming a director and wrote extensively about the history of cinema and auteur theory. His book of interviews with Hitchcock exemplifies the director-centered analysis that Sarris championed.

Manny Farber developed theories about "termite art" versus "white elephant art" in cinema and wrote highly detailed analyses of film style and technique. His work for publications like The Nation helped establish the framework for serious film criticism that Sarris built upon.

David Thomson wrote biographical dictionaries of film and extensive critical works examining directors' careers and artistic development. His systematic approach to analyzing filmmakers' bodies of work follows the auteurist tradition Sarris established in American film criticism.