On Wednesday I had the pleasure to attend my first BFI Fellowship ceremony. And this honour is even greater when received by a film critic for his stunning contribution to the film industry.
Philip French, the legendary The Observer's film critic, retired after 50 years at the age of 80. His career had begun back in 1963, and he has been defined as Britain's "greatest living movie analyst."
Not only did he lead one of the best and most read columns of the country, but he is also the author of great books such as:
- I found it at the Movies: Reflections of a Cinephile
- Westerns: Aspects of a Movie Genre
- The BFI Film Classics on Wild Strawberries
The interview was great, first of all because it was conduced by Mr French's choice of some of his favourite moments in films. You will have the chance to watch them in a few lines.
One of the things I was most pleased with was the relevance he has as a critic especially because he is capable of making connections between films and different forms of art: theatre, literature, etc. which is what I am always trying to do. So I want to thank this wonderful writer, for being another great inspiration.
The first moment Philip French chose is from his favourite genre: the Western. Sequence from the delightful Stagecoach (1939) John Ford's first western after the coming of sound.
Since I couldn't find the sequence, keep reading and it will be explained.
After the clip there was a reflection on the importance of John Ford and this film, quoting the famous words of Orson Welles:
"I prefer the old masters, by which I mean John Ford, John Ford, and John Ford."
(And his statement about watching Stagecoach over 40 times while writing Citizen Kane.)Also the novel that inspired French's love for films, The Movie Goer (1961) by Walker Percy, quotes the film:
“The fact is I am quite happy in a movie,even a bad movie...What I remember
is the time John Wayne killed three men
with a carbine as he was falling to the
dusty street in Stagecoach, and the time
the kitten found Orson Welles in the doorway in The Third Man.”
The following three moments where then connected to the uncredited cameo appeareances by three of his favourite writers:
1. Raymond Chandler in Double Indemnity (1944) by Billy Wilder (watch out for the man reading the newspaper):
2. Jorge Luis Borges in Performance (1970) by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg , I couldn't find the exact scene but here are a video about the making of the film, and the link to the Borges' reference in it:
3. Graham Greene in Day For Night (1963) by Francois Truffaut, I wasn't able to find this one either, but here's Philip French's review:
Mr. French moved then to the British realism, with a beautiful sequence from Secrets & Lies (1996) by Mike Leigh: ( I apologize for the bad quality of the video).
I really liked the definition he gave of this clip: "It's an highly cinematic clip." All in long-take as you can see, which makes it so cinematic because, as Mr. French said, "you see the characters reacting to each other."
The clip from The Chess Players (1977) by Satyajit Ray, was incredible, I apologize because I couldn't find it. However, I am glad this meeting basically gave me a whole list of films to watch.
And, then, one of the last clips, the most significant one. It isn't only a film clip, it is a reflection on life, on a life-time career, and also a salute to 50 years of unforgettable words. Clip from A Late Quartet (2012) by Yaron Zilberman.
Watch it, and then you will feel as I felt in the cinema, it really moved me, so I cannot even imagine how emotional and thrilling that moment must have been for Mr. French.
Thank you again for your reviews, your humour, your kindness and honesty. As The Observer's editor John Mulholland said:
"There are readers who will feel that his writings are simply irreplaceable."
I leave you, as he did, with his last chosen clip, which I fortunately found. From Woody Allen's Hannah and her Sisters (1986):
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