The World Screened: Stanley Kauffmann on the Cinema(19 Framing Film)

The World Screened is a collection of previously uncollected film criticisms by the late Stanley Kauffmann. Starting in 1958 and continuing until the end of his life, Kauffmann was the film critic for The New Republic. Along with Andrew Sarris, Pauline Kael, and John Simon, he was one of the most potent, influential critics of the New York School of twentieth-century American criticism. With style and erudition Kauffmann discusses films here by such noted directors as Michelangelo Antonioni, Jean Renoir, Carlos Saura, Krzysztof Kieslowski, Zhang Yimou, Wim Wenders, Ousmane Sembene, Alexander Sokurov, and Martin Scorsese. Among the motion pictures reviewed are Variety Lights, The World of Apu, North by Northwest, The Battle of Algiers, The Marriage of Maria Braun, Hannah and Her Sisters, Full Metal Jacket, and Hiroshima, Mon Amour. These movie reviews were selected from the period 1958-2007 of Kauffmann's career on the basis of international representativeness, and with the idea in mind of creating a balance between prominent film directors and those less prominent or relatively early in their careers. Aimed at moviegoers and students with an interest in film criticism, The World Screened is an ideal read for the educated reader with a general interest in the arts. The precision, wit, and wisdom of Stanley Kauffmann's writing will chime once again for all readers of The World Screened, as he reveals his sense of cultural mission by applying to film the same high standards he applied during his long career to fiction, poetry, music, and drama-standards that are fast disappearing in the age of the Internet.

Table of Contents:
Contents: Biography of Stanley Kauffmann - Introduction: Man of the Movies: The Film Criticism of Stanley Kauffmann - Reviews of Features (at the time of their American release) - Postscript - Some Notes on Film and the World - Chronology of Stanley Jules Kauffmann - Bibliography of Stanley Jules Kauffmann - Index.

Review :
"Stanley Kauffmann's sense of values stems from his panoramic awareness of the modern scene. We do more than go to the movies with him; he makes us think about the myths and realities of a culture." (Stanley Kunitz) "There is an imperturbable grace about Stanley Kauffmann's writing, a plainspoken clarity in the face of the onslaught that is the movies. He had come of age when George Bernard Shaw was considered a playwright comparable with Shakespeare, he had flourished when Bergman, Antonioni, and Fellini were the new news from Europe, and a generation and more later he was still at his post, eager to comment on whatever appeared next. His longevity was inextricably tied to his optimism - a quietly impassioned optimism about our culture that informed everything he ever wrote. That optimism is his legacy." (Jed Perl) "I can't think of any other film critic in the world whose criticism I find more thrilling, provocative, and thought provoking. I enthusiastically recommend Stanley Kauffmann's writing to anyone who loves to go to the movies." (Andre Gregory) "In his writings Stanley Kauffmann gives us a substantial aesthetic perspective, a new way to care and think about films." (Jwezi Kosinski) "Stanley Kauffmann's film criticism confirms his place among the most sensitive and humane men writing about the American cultural scene." (Robert Brustein) "Stanley Kauffmann was passionately engaged with film's highest aspirations as an art form and was at his most eloquent when films were most complex. He educated generations of film-watchers and filmmakers about how and what to watch." (Nell Minow) "Stanley Kauffmann's film criticism is altogether more balanced and sanguine than the work of most younger journalists." (Philip French) "Stanley Kauffmann's subtle and enthusiastic reviews could contribute to the return of cinephilia. He composes acute analyses which highlight some details that only a true movie lover can notice and appreciate." (Nicolas Magenham) "For decades Stanley Kauffmann has brought sobriety and affectionate restraint to his reviews of films. Kauffmann has quietly gone about his work, refusing to find broad cultural significance where there is none yet willing to treat pop culture with the thoughtful dignity and calm it often deserves." (George Fetherling) "Kauffmann's is a civilized, easygoing style. He is also a good judge of acting. Knowledgeableness is quietly integrated in his work, not flashily displayed. There is humane wisdom in this man's film criticism." (John Simon) "Stanley Kauffmann began reviewing movies for The New Republic decades ago and was one of the few critics remaining from the 'Film Generation' of the 1960s-cinephiles who believed passionately in film's paramount status among the arts. That conviction and his informed erudition distinguish his reviews. These pieces published since 1999 are also distinctive in that most of them tackle independent and foreign films, ranging from Martin Scorsese's, Oliver Stone's, and Woody Allen's at home to those of China's Zhang Yimou and Iran's Abbas Kiarostami abroad. This focus on the best that the medium has to offer rather than mainstream Hollywood schlock typifies Kauffmann's respect for the art form and enhances the volume's appeal for cineastes. At his best when dealing with a movie that rewards his devotion, Kauffmann reminds us how culturally important film once was. Now that commerce and gossip have become the preeminent content of writing about movies, Kauffmann's quiet passion and steadfast dedication are more valuable than ever." (Gordon Flagg) "I never stopped reading Stanley Kauffmann, growingly appreciating his unflagging dedication, steady morale, and unclouded acuteness of perception. I kept learning from him up to the last. His very longevity carried a Shavian