Roger Ebert’s hatred of ‘The Usual Suspects’: “To the degree that I do understand, I don’t care”
Film criticism owes much to Roger Ebert, who began writing accessible – and often scathing – reviews of the latest movies in the 1960s. He continued to do so for decades, even appearing on television to recommend and criticise films, becoming, arguably, the most well-known film critic of all time.
Ebert enjoyed a long career of movie reviewing, with some of his opinions even directly affecting the box office popularity of certain films. The writer wasn’t afraid to be brutally honest, often penning his reviews with acerbic wit that attracted plenty of readers, who were eager to hear his thoughts on the newest blockbuster or indie release.
On some occasions, Ebert’s reviews were hilariously harsh, such as when he said that watching a colonoscopy was more enjoyable than Vincent Gallo’s The Brown Bunny. His review of Freddy Got Fingered was particularly great, too, claiming that it was so beyond “bottom of the barrel” that it doesn’t even “deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence with barrels”.
While many of Ebert’s bad reviews were justifiable, he often slated popular movies, such as the Academy Award-winning The Usual Suspects, directed by Bryan Singer. Known for a plot twist that had many audiences lining up to buy tickets, with everyone seemingly needing to know what could possibly be so shocking, the movie ended up grossing $66million worldwide.
Despite the praise that many reviewers gave the film, Ebert was just not a fan, giving it one and a half stars. He watched the movie twice, suggesting that perhaps the reason for not liking it the first time was because he’d already had a busy day of movie-watching. Yet, on a second viewing, he also hated it, stating that his “comprehension began to slip”.
He even wrote down in his notepad, “To the degree that I do understand, I don’t care.”
He added, “I had, after all, understood everything I was intended to understand. It was just that there was less to understand than the movie at first suggests.”
The Usual Suspects sees Kevin Spacey play Roger ‘Verbal’ Kint, who explains the story of a mysterious yet terrifying criminal, Keyser Soze, to the police, claiming him to be responsible for a massive explosion. The film utilises formal devices, such as a nonlinear narrative, to paint a picture of events.
For Ebert, the movie was just confusing and, at times, boring, stating, “The interrogation between the cop and the suspect falls into a monotonous pattern: friendliness, testiness, hostility, a big blow-up, threats, reconciliations and then full circle again.”
The movie remains highly praised, and it seems like Ebert’s negative review didn’t affect the box-office success of the film. In fact, it probably added to the buzz surrounding the movie, subsequently encouraging more people to buy a ticket and form their own opinions.
