HISTORICAL CIRCUIT INTRODUCTION
By: John H. Foote
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We will be bringing you reviews from all years of cinema...
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I love that Clayton has included a historical site for the Awards Circuit pages. Being a historian of the cinema naturally I love
discussing cinema of years gone by, but more importantly I think it essential that young film buffs be aware of the cinema that
came before the films they are watching now. I remember reading a review of Pulp Fiction (1994) when it was first released, and
the critic, a young woman new to reviewing mentions that it was the first non-linear film ever made. Obviously her lack of film
history knowledge did not allow her to be aware of Citizen Kane (1941) or so many other films which had their stories with a
broken narrative.
You must be aware of what came before to truly appreciate and even gain a greater understanding of what film is today.
Consider the extraordinary number of films Quentin Tarantino has watched, and pays homage to in each and every one of his
films…look how his vast appreciation of all cinema has impacted his work, thereby impacting the film audiences of today and
future filmmakers.
This historical area will allow for explorations of The Searchers (1956) arguably the greatest western ever made, or The Hustler
(1961) the first of the European influenced sixties films to make an impact on American film. Here we can discuss Bonnie and
Clyde (1967) and the manner it opened the door for the New American Cinema that became the seventies, the single greatest
ten year span in movie history.
There have been films that failed upon release, only to be re-discovered by later generations and elevated to the slot of
masterpiece, and perhaps we can do that in these pages. Heaven’s Gate (1980) while no masterpiece is also no failure; an
often soaring work of art that sadly became an outlet for the director’s ego and self indulgence.
How many of today’s youth are aware of the staggering impact Charles Chaplin had on early cinema as a director, or that Jerry
Lewis was the first director to utilize a video assist monitor to help him direct? These are things to be explored on the pages as
well as so much more.
So together let’s walk through history, in a non-linear fashion, with films thrown out for discussion. See the films discussed on
the pages, and jump in to debate or celebrate the art of cinema.
NOTE: There is an opportunity for readers to submit their own reviews for films every month. More details to come so get
those reviews later.
BACK TO HISTORICAL CIRCUIT HERE
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