The permanent crisis of film criticism

Film criticism is in crisis. Dwelling on the many film journalists made redundant at newspapers, magazines, and other 'old media' in past years, commentators have voiced existential questions about the purpose and worth of the profession in the age of WordPress blogospheres and proclaimed the 'death of the critic'. Bemoaning the current anarchy of internet amateurs and the lack of authoritative critics, many journalists and academics claim that in the digital age, cultural commentary has become dumbed down and fragmented into niche markets. Arguing against these claims, this book examines the history of film critical discourse in France, German, the UK, and the United States to demonstrate that film criticism has, since its origins, always found itself in crisis. The need to assert critical authority and anxieties over challenges to that authority are longstanding concerns; indeed, these issues have animated and choreographed the trajectory of international film criticism since its origins.

serie Film theory in media history - Matthias Frey (Auteur) - Verschenen op 01/01/2015 bij Amsterdam University Press