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‘Every Film a Critic’ From Highbrowers to Rotten Tomatoers and YouTube Video Essayists. Laurie Le Bomin Thesis 2019 MA New Media and Digital Culture University of Amsterdam Table of Contents Preface & Acknowledgements………………………………………………………………………………………………..3 Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…...4 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….5 1. Critics and the ‘Art of Film’……………………………………………………………………………………………...…7 1,1. ​The Cinema of ‘the Spectacle’​…………………………………………………………………………….…7 1,2. ​‘Nouvelle Vague’ Critics​…………………………………………………………………………….………...9 2. ​Highbrow​ Critics, ​Lowbrow​ Reviewers…………………………………………………………….………………….10 2,1. Critics and Elitism​………………………………………………………….…………………………………..11 2,2. A ‘Sensationalist’ Approach to Criticism​………………………….………………………………....12 3. Subjective Taste-Makers……………………….…………………………………………………………………………...14 3,1. The Departure from Objectivity​………………………………………………………………………….15 3,2. The ‘Universality’ of Taste​…………………………………………………………………………….…….16 4. Is Everyone a Critic in the Digital Era?……………………………………………………………………….……..18 4,1.​ ​The Rise of Amateurism​……………………………………………………………………….…………...19 4,2. Tomatometer-Approved Critics​…………………………………………………………………………..21 4,3. A Decline in ‘Good’ Criticism?​…………………………………………………………………….……..23 5. ‘To Edit and to Voice-Over:’ The Audio-Visual Essay Genre​……………………………………….……….25 5,1. Filmmaking and Essays: Early Experiments​……………………………………….………………….26 5,2. Video Essays and Academic Potential​……………………………………….………………………....28 5,3. Social and Cultural Implications​……………………….…………………………..…………………….29 1 6. YouTube Video Essayists and the ‘ Sociality’ of Expertise……………….………………........................31 6,1. ​Critics as YouTube Users and Participatory Expertise​……….……………….......................32 6,2. Case Study:​ Every Frame a Painting, NerdWriter1​ and ​Lessons from the Screenplay, Pseudo-Intellectual Film Criticism?​………………..…………………………….…………………………...35 6,3. The Challenges of YouTube Film Criticism​………………………………………………………....40 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………........43 Bibliography………………………………………………………...........................................................................44 Appendix………………………………………………………................................................................................52 2 Preface & Acknowledgements To an avid film enthusiast such as me, there is nothing more pleasurable—except watching films—than to look at film criticism and reviews. In many ways, new media has significantly shaped how I came to view films critically. Although I can draw many parallels between the transition from highbrow film criticism to digital new formats and my appreciation of criticism, this thesis constitutes a broader inquiry regarding new media. After applying to the Master in New Media and Digital Culture at the University of Amsterdam, I was curious to learn more about online practices and communities. Learning about theoretical concepts and discourses was highly beneficial to advance my understanding of new media. Initially fascinated by the intellectual nature of film analysis and the literary excellence of film critics in ​Les Cahiers du Cinéma and ​The New Yorker, ​I then began to watch audio-visual formats such as YouTube videos and reviews. As a result, YouTube is a source of knowledge and creativity worth researching. Many researchers have already engaged with this medium—examining its affordances, its cultural and economic impact, and so on. My approach, however, is not limited to this one platform. Instead, I consider the digitization of the cultural practice of film criticism to enquire into online notions of expertise. Despite being familiar with digital methods such as the YouTube Data Tool (Rieder, 2015), I ultimately decided to write this thesis using a theoretical approach. I chose YouTube audio-visual essays as a case study as they constitute a relevant trend in contemporary film criticism. I hope my research, which combines concepts from various fields, will provide thought-provoking insights into this vernacular practice and contribute positively to the development of more innovative, intelligent, and appealing ways to engage critically with and learn about cultural objects. I would like to thank, first and foremost, my supervisor dr. B.M. (Bogna) Konior. Not only did she provide valuable insights into film theory and media studies, her guidance contributed greatly to the production of this thesis. Secondly, I want to show appreciation for each of my professors who significantly and positively impacted my learning experience: Prof. dr. R.A. Rogers, dr. T.J. (Tim) Highfield, Dr A. (Alex) Gekker, dhr. dr. B. (Bernhard) Rieder, ​dhr. dr. M.D. (Marc) Tuters, dhr. E.K. (Erik) Borra MSc, mw. N. (Natalia) Sánchez Querubín MA, and mrs. Prof. G. (Giovanna) Fossati. And finally, I dedicate this thesis to my family and friends. I also want to thank B. David who offered helpful advice. Without their support, I would not have been able to conduct this research. 3 Abstract Film criticism was initially associated with a notion of expertise. Whether written by professional critics and film theory scholars in traditional prints and scholarly articles, or published in magazines by culture journalists, the aesthetics, symbols and historical contexts of a film were analysed to establish its value as an art form. As digital technology transformed the production and distribution process of cinema, the stature of the film critic changed. Streaming services facilitate access to films and TV shows, and anyone can publicly establish themselves as critics and write about their opinions, recommendations, and reviews on social media and websites. With the democratization of film criticism, online communities, amateur critics, and cinephiles proliferated. Rotten Tomatoes has made a significant impact on online film criticism. The website relies on statistical rankings, the audience’s opinions, and professional critics and journalists. A community of critics also emerged on the ​YouTube platform. Analysing and deconstructing film narratives in a video format has been popularized as a more entertaining approach to film criticism. Consequently, the practice has deteriorated, as many people lament a ‘crisis of criticism’ and even its death. However, there has been a growing trend towards the production of more intellectual content, using visual rhetoric to break down abstract ideas and complex concepts within films. For instance, YouTube channels such as ​Every Frame a Painting and ​NerdWriter1​, produce high-quality video essays that attract a large audience. The popularity of such content poses the question—are digitization and democratization eroding the relevance of the critic and ‘cultural intermediaries’? And if so, do video essays constitute a revival of the expertise and intellectual aspects of film criticism online? 4 Introduction In an interview during which he reminisced about his days as a film critic, author and culture critic Chuck Klosterman revealed that, “​the only thing people really wanted was a plot description and how many stars I'd give it. It didn't matter how much effort you put into writing a piece, they looked at it solely as a consumer's guide toward going or not going to films​” (Murray, 2006). Given that the practice of film criticism has considerably changed in the digital era, this claim appears to ring particularly pertinent to the current state of modern society. Established and professional film critics are growingly disappearing, replaced by self-proclaimed online experts or film enthusiasts. For audiences, notions of expertise are not authoritative criteria in assessing the quality of a film. Instead, personal opinions and ratings are favoured. Web 2.0, social media, and cultural industries are thus significantly influential in shaping consumers’ behaviours. Many researchers in new media focus on analyzing the challenges of contemporary entertainment and its effect on culture in relation to technology. One of the main topic discussed is the changing relationship between producers and consumers. Audiences can communicate their opinions online, build social networks and communities, produce content, and dictate market trends. They can develop online communities based on common interests or ideas. This active, social, and participatory approach to consumerism impact the economic model, placing the consumer in between two roles. As ‘prosumers’ (Fisher, 125), film audiences create new modes of public engagement with films as cultural objects. In addition to these new forms of sociality enabled by new media, questioning the relevance of film critics, or what sociologists refer to as ‘cultural intermediaries,’ can help shed light on broader economic and social aspects of society. As film criticism first emanated from notions of expertise, it then appears coherent to examine the transformation of film criticism in the digital era. With new media, the practice of film criticism proliferated in diverse formats. This development carried out a promising democratization of culture and taste. With the Internet propelling culture criticism and reviewing outside the realms of academia and print journalism, delineating the practice constitutes a challenge. Technology and new media have accelerated processes of culture production and the rate of consumption, so much so that economic and social models predominantly hinge on the production and commodification of cultural products. Scholars observed that: “entertainment is a commodity

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