Synopses & Reviews
Roger Ebert has been writing film reviews for the Chicago Sun-Times for over four decades now and his biweekly essays on great movies have been appearing there since 1996. As Ebert noted in the introduction to the first collection of those pieces, “They are not the greatest films of all time, because all lists of great movies are a foolish attempt to codify works which must stand alone. But its fair to say: If you want to take a tour of the landmarks of the first century of cinema, start here.
Enter The Great Movies III, Eberts third collection of essays on the crème de la crème of the silver screen, each one a model of critical appreciation and a blend of love and analysis that will send readers back to the films with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm—or maybe even lead to a first-time viewing. From The Godfather: Part II to Groundhog Day, from The Last Picture Show to Last Tango in Paris, the hundred pieces gathered here display a welcome balance between the familiar and the esoteric, spanning Hollywood blockbusters and hidden gems, independent works and foreign language films alike. Each essay draws on Eberts vast knowledge of the cinema, its fascinating history, and its breadth of techniques, introducing newcomers to some of the most exceptional movies ever made, while revealing new insights to connoisseurs as well.
Named the most powerful pundit in America by Forbes magazine, and a winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Roger Ebert is inarguably the most prominent and influential authority on the cinema today. The Great Movies III is sure to please his many fans and further enhance his reputation as Americas most respected—and trusted—film critic.
Review
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Time
Review
“In every [essay], Ebert offers informed critical appraisals, as well as background on the movies making and significance, that make these pieces rewarding for film buffs and ideal introductions for first-time viewers.”
Review
“Roger Eberts take-no-prisoners essays packed with insidery insights will send movie lovers back to the sofa for a second look at old favorites like
Cool Hand Luke and
My Fair Lady while introducing more offbeat picks like
Sansho the Bailiff and
Pixote.”
Review
“The lively text and subject matter is a winning combination. VERDICT For all movie fans as well as anyone looking for a good film to watch. An essential addition, especially for those owning Ebert's first two collections.”
About the Author
Roger Ebert (1942-2013) was a film critic for the Chicago Sun-Times for more than forty years. In 1975 he became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize. That same year he teamed up with his rival critic, Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune, to host a movie review program on public television. Sneak Previews became the most popular entertainment program on the PBS network and gave Ebert a nationwide audience. He was the author of numerous books on film including Awake in the Dark: The Best of Roger Ebert, the Great Movies essay collections, and a memoir, Life Itself.
Table of Contents
Foreword by David Bordwell
Introduction
3 Women
Ace in the Hole
Adaptation
After Dark, My Sweet
After Hours
The Age of Innocence
Army of Shadows
Atlantic City
Au Revoir les Enfants
Babel
The Band Wagon
Baraka
The Battle of Algiers
Bergmans Trilogy 1: Through a Glass Darkly
Bergmans Trilogy 2: Winter Light
Bergmans Trilogy 3: The Silence
The Best Years of Our Lives
The Big Red One
Blade Runner: The Final Cut
Cabiria
Cat People
Chimes at Midnight
Chop Shop
Chuck Jones: Three Cartoons
Cool Hand Luke
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Crumb
Dark City
The Dead
Diva
Dog Day Afternoon
The Double Life of Veronique
Easy Rider
El Norte
El Topo
The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Exotica
Fanny and Alexander
Faust
Fitzcarraldo
Forbidden Games
The Godfather: Part II
The Great Dictator
Groundhog Day
Howards End
Inherit the Wind
Johnny Guitar
Juliet of the Spirits
Killer of Sheep
La Belle Noiseuse
L.A. Confidential
The Last Picture Show
Last Tango in Paris
The Last Temptation of Christ
Late Spring
Leolo
The Long Goodbye
Magnolia
The Marriage of Maria Braun
Mephisto
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Mon Oncle Antoine
Moolaade
My Fair Lady
My Man Godfrey
Nanook of the North
Ordet
Out of the Past
Pans Labyrinth
Paths of Glory
The Phantom of the Opera
Pixote
Playtime
A Prairie Home Companion
Rebel Without a Cause
The Red Shoes
Ripleys Game
The River (Le Fleuve)
Rocco and His Brothers
Safety Last
Samurai Rebellion
Sansho the Bailiff
Santa Sangre
The Scarlet Empress
Secrets & Lies
The Shining
The Terrorist
The Thief of Bagdad
Top Hat
Triumph of the Will
Vengeance Is Mine
Waking Life
Werckmeister Harmonies
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Withnail & I
A Womans Tale
Woodstock
WR—Mysteries of the Organism
A Year of the Quiet SunYojimbo