The legendary director adored by Roger Ebert: “He made pure movies”
When we consider the evolution of cinematic discourse in popular media, there are few figures who can rival the influence of Roger Ebert. Through his passion for the medium and his habit of championing emerging filmmakers who ended up changing the art form forever, Ebert’s legacy is observable in many of the characteristics that modern film criticism has adopted.
While Ebert came under fire on multiple occasions for his scathing evaluations of pioneers such as David Lynch and Abbas Kiarostami, he also helped introduce classics to younger generations of cinephiles who were also infected by his absolute, unwavering love of cinema. One notable example is his lifelong support for Orson Welles’ revolutionary Citizen Kane, which he defended as the greatest film ever made throughout his career.
However, Welles’ magnum opus is certainly not the only film that occupied the pantheon of great cinema in Ebert’s head. In an article titled ‘Ten Greatest Films of All Time’, Ebert added to his support for Citizen Kane while also highlighting the magnificent efforts of directors, such as Federico Fellini and Martin Scorsese, who made definitive contributions to the medium in the 20th century.
In addition to praising the unforgettable experiments of Stanley Kubrick, who completely reimagined cinematic sci-fi with 2001: A Space Odyssey, the legendary critic also paid tribute to the man who set the standard for modern thrillers: Alfred Hitchcock. Even though his creations came out decades ago, they reveal more about the essence of the cinematic experience than many contemporary efforts.
Ebert wrote: “I do not have the secret of Alfred Hitchcock, and neither, I am convinced, does anyone else. He made movies that do not date, that fascinate and amuse, that everybody enjoys, and that shout out in every frame that they are by Hitchcock. In the world of film, he was known simply as The Master. But what was he the Master of? What was his philosophy, his belief, his message?”
“It appears that he had none,” he added. “His purpose was simply to pluck the strings of human emotion — to play the audience, he said, like a piano. Hitchcock was always hidden behind the genre of the suspense film, but as you see his movies again and again, the greatness stays after the suspense becomes familiar. He made pure movies.”
There are too many great Hitchcock works to choose from, ranging from the chilling psychosexual nightmare of Psycho to the unsettling vision of Vertigo. However, Ebert had a personal favourite, which he included in his top ten list: 1946’s Notorious.
Starring the likes of Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant, it’s one of the great World War II movies where the characters get caught up in a secret operation where one false move could result in instant death. Notable not only for the excellent acting but Hitchcock’s superb direction, it’s definitely right up there with his best masterpieces.
