Film, the measure of all things

No war broke out, nor was there an economic crash or general election, but 1963 has long been regarded as a watershed in modern British history. Above all it was the year of the Profumo scandal, which, as Richard Davenport-Hines argues in An English Affair, “sounded a death-knell to the confidence of traditional hierarchical authority”. Echoing this theme, it was a year that began with de Gaulle’s rejection of Britain’s application to join the Common Market and ended with the granting of independence to Kenya, one of the last major acts of decolonisation. It was also the year Beatlemania arr...

Maximilien Luc Proctor talked to James Benning about his latest works and his relationship with cinema.

Soviet filmmaker Sergei Parajanov explored his Transcaucasian roots in this visually spectacular and wonderfully strange ode to the Armenian poet Sayat-Nova.

It’s a bit specialized, admittedly. Nonetheless, Ben Davis’s Repertory Movie Theaters of New York City: Havens for Revivals, Indies and the Avant-Garde, 1960-1994 delivers exactly what the title p

Pop reviews and in-depth analyses of current and classic films from around the world.

Rivette’s films represent an effort to capture the fullness of an inner world, a lifetime’s range of obsessions and mysteries.

Non-fiction storytelling is one of the most exciting and boundary-pushing genres of modern entertainment. And it’s only speeding up. Everyone — from commercial directors, to professional…

Pop reviews and in-depth analyses of current and classic films from around the world.

Pop reviews and in-depth analyses of current and classic films from around the world.

"What a mess!" Ellington baffled by his so-called scholars Ellington Plagiarized O ne wintry evening, not long ago, I we...

Pop reviews and in-depth analyses of current and classic films from around the world.

Pop reviews and in-depth analyses of current and classic films from around the world.

Pop reviews and in-depth analyses of current and classic films from around the world.

Because space was tight, documentaries, shorts and animated films were not eligible. Additionally, we limited directors to no more than one spot on the list.

A photo essay look at the visual language of Oscar-nominated Mudbound.

Because film is thought of as a primarily visual medium, it’s easy to overlook the integral role of sound design in on-screen storytelling – particularly when it seems to fade into the background during movies that lack flashy soundtracks and blockbuster action. Working from a pivotal scene from Steven Spielberg’s Munich (2005), this video essay from Evan Puschak (also known as the Nerdwriter) probes the multitude of subtle ways in which sound design constructs and defines how viewers experience the film. Cleverly edited, Puschak’s piece is both an insightful exploration of audiovisual stor...