Remembering Roger Ebert

On the 4th of April 2013 the film and press industry lost a great representative when the acclaimed film critic and writer Roger Ebert lost his battle with cancer at the age of 70. As one of the many film writers who have been inspired and influenced by Ebert's writing style and engagement to cinema I found it a responsibility to pay my own respects to a man who helped to revolutionise the art of film criticism.

As part of a long running TV partnership with the late Gene Siskel, Ebert arguably was the first mainstream celebrity film critic, but rather then taking the art-form of film criticism downmarket by embracing television as a medium Ebert was able to achieve the opposite, instead elevating his audience to his level using a charisma and likability in combination with a natural love of film which came across grandly within the show. Part of the appeal with Ebert as a writer was the way in which he was able to engage with all levels of film-going audiences, appealing to both the schooled art-house film viewer and the casual fan more inclined towards the Hollywood blockbuster, but still managing to do so with an engaging quality which made him appealing to both readers and later to television viewers, and never at any time felt snobbish and arrogant with his views, which in an industry such as this is a very hard thing to do. His relationship with Gene Siskel as part of At The Movies also proved to be an appeal of Ebert, as the two's partnership proved to be engaging, informative and amazingly entertaining without ever getting too confrontational or trashy to ever be off-putting to the viewer, and as a result of the success of Siskel and Ebert film criticism is now a regular sight on any television channel, each of course utilising the informed debate style that Siskel and Ebert had made their own.

Whilst I didn't personally agree all the time with some of Ebert's film ratings, his decision to give Die Another Day a thumbs up being one of his lowest moments, there is no denying that the man's natural passion for cinema and all things film cannot be surpassed, and on top of everything else is why the man should be appreciated. For me he is the Steven Spielberg of film critics, maybe not the best or informative, but by far one of the most high-profile and influential to grace our industry.