On April 6th, 2013, just two days after his
passing, Roger Ebert’s final review was published, that being for Terrence
Malick’s To the Wonder. Oddly enough, the title of Malick’s film is the perfect
way to bring the legacy of Ebert’s career full circle. A man full of wonder and
energy beyond description, Ebert’s passion for cinema, as well as his eloquent
writings and collaborations with Gene Siskel, have justly cemented him as the
greatest film critic of all time.
Almost a year and a half has passed since his death, and the
sting isn’t even close to receding. Ebert kept us coming back, time and time
again, but it was his passion for life itself that made him such a fascinating
individual. Taken from the title of Ebert’s memoirs, and directed by Steve
James of Hoop Dreams (one of his favorite films), Life Itself is a film that
shows us in unflinching detail the struggles, triumphs, and bumpy circumstances
of Ebert’s long, celebrated career. Simply put, the film is fantastic.
Steve James met with Roger and his wife Chaz Ebert one day about the concept of a documentary centered on Ebert, and this idea soon became a chronicle of Ebert’s last few months, and while his physical voice may have been taken due to cancer, relying on a voice synthesizer, his creative voice was still every bit as strong and unrepressed as ever.
On the one hand, the film is heartbreaking to watch. Seeing
Ebert’s condition deteriorate him is never easy to sit through, especially
during sequences when he is being fed via feeding tube. Aspects of his personal
life, including his struggle with alcoholism, are presented with equally
saddening detail. However, it’s also quite inspiring to see how the man
overcame all of these hardships, and even after such devastating things have
happened to him, he stills manages to find joy in living, even when facing his
imminent death, of which he looks at in a macabre fashion.
Ebert is a fascinating individual for many reasons, but
perhaps the biggest reason of all is for his unbridled passion for cinema. In a
way, I can’t help but compare his spirit to Tim Burton’s interpretation of Ed
Wood. Granted, Ebert was much more of a professional in his field than Wood was
in his, but they both have such a passionate drive for everything they do.
There are many artists in their field who are among the best at what they do,
and yet, they can’t stand what they’re doing. With Ebert, the thing that made him
stand out, and made us keep coming back to see him and Gene Siskel bicker week
after week… is how seriously he took the artform.
Whereas many were stubborn to consider movies as anything
beyond escapist entertainment, Ebert knew before any of us the untapped
potential that lie in it. He never looked at his job with the slightest hint of
cynicism (We have Armond White to thank for that). Whether he were reviewing
something as revered as The Tree of Life, or something as thoroughly horrible
as The Raid, he never saw it as an easy paycheck, a hobby on the side, and
never took it for granted. He knew what an impact cinema had, and whether he
were talking about films from Citizen Kane to 2001, or from Beauty and the
Beast to Transformers, he always knew his facts, could back them up, and always
loved discussion, analyzing every inch of a product and the worth of each
element, even affectionately painted as a man taking notes in one hand while
eating popcorn with the other.
It’s also fascinating to see what a champion for new talent
he was, whether he shows support for Rahmin Bahrani of Man Push Cart fame, or
hailing then newcomer Martin Scorsese for Who’s That Knocking At My Door,
claiming he would be the American Fellini in ten years time. He even made
friendships with many of these artists, which you would assume would cloud his
judgment with bias, but his thoughts were still as candid and objective as
ever. It’s actually kind of hilarious seeing him praise Scorsese’s Raging Bull
as one of the great American sports movies, then proceed to rip apart Scorsese’s
The Color of Money. Speaking of which, another thing that kept us coming back
to him is that Ebert is and was a very funny man. His playfully heated debates
with Gene Siskel provided some of the most thoroughly entertaining reviews out
there, with Siskel even affectionately labeling Ebert as “An A$-hole, but he’s
my A$-hole.”
Passionate right up to the very end, Ebert is the reason for
film criticism becoming more popular than ever. I know for a fact I wouldn’t be
doing what I am now if it weren’t for his influence, and I feel that’s the case
for many a critic. For anyone to have even an ounce of that passion and drive
for anything, movies or not, anything at all, they would pretty much be set for
life. His influence remains strong, his spirit will never be lost, and nobody
can ever fault him for that. The future is always uncertain, and the sting of a
great man’s loss will never subdue, but one thing I do know for sure, no matter
what, the world would never have been the same, or as good, without him.
Two thumbs up! Here’s to you, Roger…
****1/2 / *****
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