Placing Movies: The Practice of Film Criticism by Jonathan Rosenbaum

Placing Movies: The Practice of Film Criticism by Jonathan Rosenbaum is an important collection of essays from one of America’s most distinctive and influential film critics. First published by the University of California Press in 1995, the book gathers thirty pieces written across more than two decades, offering an unusually broad exploration of cinema, filmmaking and the role of the critic.

Rosenbaum moves comfortably between mainstream Hollywood productions, international art cinema and experimental film, examining not only individual movies but also directors, actors, cinematic movements and the cultural circumstances in which films are produced and received. Placing Movies combines close critical analysis with an awareness of the politics, economics and personalities surrounding both filmmaking and film criticism.

Among the filmmakers and subjects discussed are Orson Welles, Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Rivette, Jacques Tati, Alain Resnais, Woody Allen, Jean Vigo and Samuel Fuller. Individual films considered include The Manchurian Candidate, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Othello, King Lear, White Dog and L’Atalante. Rosenbaum also reflects on the work of fellow critics and on the processes through which critical judgements are formed.

Particularly valuable to students and serious enthusiasts of cinema is Rosenbaum’s examination of film criticism itself as a profession and intellectual practice. Rather than functioning simply as a collection of movie reviews, Placing Movies provides insight into how films are interpreted, evaluated and situated within wider cultural and cinematic traditions.

Placing Movies is a substantial and thoughtful addition to collections devoted to film studies, cinema history, cultural criticism and twentieth-century filmmaking.

Condition – Very Good

Paperback binding remains sound with light general handling and minor edge and corner wear. Some light spotting/foxing is visible to the page edges and endpapers, with occasional age-related marks. Covers remain attractive with only modest surface and edge wear. Overall a clean, solid and well-preserved reading copy for its age.