RIP Andrew Sarris

I posted this on FB but I know not everyone here is on it--this guy is so important, everyone with any interest in any kind of art anywhere at any time should read him.

************

I learned everything about everything from this guy. His writing changed all my ideas about film, about music, about criticism, and about how to think. My 40-year-old copy of his "The American Cinema" sits on the shelf right above this computer and is probably my most thumbed-through book. Did I always agree with him? No. Did I become an auteurist? Not like him, no. But every time I watch a movie or read a book or listen to music or write about listening to music he is there next to me.

He taught me not to be a critical snob but at the same time always seek genuine quality in art--and not to be fooled by mere cleverness or impressive technique, but to look below the surface for subtlety. He taught me about how artists can put the stamp of their personalities on collaborative endeavors. Plus as an added bonus he introduced me to the writing of Andre Bazin (and the god of my cultural universe, Jean Renoir).

https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/21/movies/andrew-sarris-film-critic-dies...