Professional critics from various fields are often accused of having the nerve to provide commentary on work that they, themselves, cannot do. Some argue that only people working in a particular industry, or those who have worked there before, should be allowed to provide criticism. It isn’t a valid argument, considering there are obvious areas one can look at when determining something’s quality. Additionally, someone watching from the outside tends to have a clearer view than those on the inside.
Still, some film critics went out of their way to write screenplays. Some did it after retiring from their commentary jobs, while some did it while writing for the papers. The greatRoger Ebertis one such critic, though he only took the screenplay gig momentarily.
Below are some of the best movies written by famous critics. These movies prove that when allowed to craft great screenplays, critics can do a solid job, mainly because they’ve watched just about everything, and understand what it takes to tell a good story.
5‘Beyond the Valley of the Dolls’ (1970)
Critic: Roger Ebert
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Beyond the Valley of the Dollsfollowsmembers of the all-female rock band The Carrie Nations as they seek fame.They move to Los Angeles, guarded by their charming manager, Ronnie “Z-Man” Barzell (John LaZar), and as soon as they arrive in the city, they are pulled into a world of sex and drugs. Unknown to them, Z-Man is hiding a major secret.
Originallyintended as a sequel to the 1967 drama,Valley of the Dolls, Beyond the Valley of the Dollswas restructured as a parody. Ebert reportedly wrote a 127-page treatment in under 10 days. He did it because he was a friend of director Russ Meyer.
An Unexpected Story Choice
Beyond the Valley of the Dollsworks by revealing just a fraction of the artist’s professional struggles.It mostly dwells on the destructive inner demons, and the results are impressive. It isn’t exactly the cinematic masterpiece that would be expected from a Pulitzer-winning critic, but it contains lots of humor.
Ebert also thought highly of his film. He described it as “a satire of Hollywood conventions, genres, situations, dialogue, characters, and success formulas, heavily overlaid with such shocking violence that some critics didn’t know whether the movie ‘knew’ it was a comedy.” Is it one ofthe greatest parodies ever made? No. But it is close.
4‘The Night of the Hunter’ (1955)
Critic: James Agee
The Night of the Hunter
The Night of the Hunterfeatures one ofthe most memorable movie con artists. During a stint behind bars,Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) eavesdrops on his cellmate talking about $10,000 he stole from a bank.Once he is out, Powell goes to the cellmate’s hometown, pretending to be a preacher. There, he propositions the man’s wife and marries her. As the days pass, Powell’s strong-arm tactics and desire to control the entire family cast a dark cloud over everyone’s happiness. This prompts the children to rebel. And they soon find out what he is up to.
The filmwas written by James Agee, who, in the 1940s, writing forTime Magazine, was one of the most influential film critics in America.He was hired as the movie’s screenwriter because he was from the South and because of his status in the industry. His script was reportedly 293 pages (too long for a feature film), so director Charles Laughton trimmed it.
A Favorite Pick for Many Directors
A far cry from the standard play-it-safe films of the 50s,The Night of the Hunteris candid about the sleazy and ruthless opportunists who inhabit small towns.Shelley Winters is smashing as Willa, the wife who gets tricked. Her character’s turbulent marriage to the repugnant Harry (also played by Laughton) will keep you glued.
Even though Roger Ebert’s screenplay was decent, Agee’s work is more like what fans would expect from a Pulitzer-winning critic.It has the tension, the flow, and the heart. It alsooffers a perfect balance between dialogue and a lyrical, expressionistic style.Over the years, several directors, including Spike Lee, the Coen brothers, Martin Scorsese, and Guillermo del Toro, have all praised the movie.
6 Movies Roger Ebert Hated So Much He Walked Out
Roger Ebert was very patient, but some movies frustrated him so much that he either pressed the stop button or walked out of the theater.
3‘The 400 Blows’ (1959)
Critic: François Truffaut
The 400 Blows
The 400 Blowsis about 14-year-old Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Léaud), a sad Parisian boy who isn’t held in high regard by his parents and teachers.After a series of offenses, he is sent to a juvenile detention center, where the claustrophobic atmosphere weighs down on him.The film is considered a semi-autobiographical account of François Truffaut’s own life and was his directorial debut.
As a writer and director, Truffaut is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave. Way before he penned the script for this particular movie,he was a critic (and later editor) at the film magazineCahiers du Cinéma, where he was notorious for his unforgiving takes. His reviews earned him the nickname “The Gravedigger of French Cinema"
A Stunning Debut
This charmer featuresamazing wide-angle camera shorts, sparkling dialogue and a soul-nourishing Jean Constantin score.Search, if you may, but you are unlikely to find a bettermovie about adolescence. For his work, Truffaut received a Best Original Screenplay nomination at the Oscars and a Best Director trophy at Cannes.
Over the years, many other directors have showered the film with praise. Akira Kurosawa called it “one of the most beautiful films that I have ever seen,” while Martin Scorsese included it on his list of “39 Essential Foreign Films for a Young Filmmaker.”
2‘The Last Picture Show’ (1971)
Critic: Peter Bogdanovich
The Last Picture Show
The Last Picture Showis a story about life and love in 1950s Texas.Best buddies Sonny Crawford (Timothy Bottoms) and Duane Jackson (Jeff Bridges) all deal with various issues as they transition into adulthood.Sonny starts sneaking up with a lonely older woman, while Duane is smitten by a beautiful but narcissistic younger woman. Things become even more complicated when the town’s only movie theater shuts down.
The film iswritten and directed by Peter Bogdanovich, who began his career as a young actor before working as a film critic forFilm CultureandEsquire.He got the idea to make the film after spotting the source material (the 1966 semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by McMurtry) while standing in a cashier’s line in a drugstore.
True Definition of a Breakthrough Film
Here,Bogdanovich examines the mystery of human emotion and association in refreshing, revealing ways.The two leads also deliver arresting performances, spiced by occasional laughter and pathos.
The Last Picture Showwas highly profitable, grossing $29 million on a $1.3 million budget. On top of that, it was nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Bogdanovich would later make a sequel,Texasville, featuring the same cast, but the movie failed to match its predecessor’s critical or commercial success.
1‘Alphaville’ (1965)
Critic: Jean-Luc Godard
Alphaville
Alphavilleis adystopian sci-fi noir filmabout secret agent Lemmy Caution (Eddie Constantine), whoinfiltrates the totalitarian city of Alphaville, where emotions and independent thought are outlawed and everything is controlled by the supercomputer Alpha 60.Disguised as a reporter, he aims to destroy Alpha 60 and rescue the computer’s creator, Professor von Braun. Things get interesting when he falls for von Braun’s daughter.
Like Truffaut, Godard began his career as a film critic forCahiers du Cinéma, criticizing the play-it-safe nature of mainstream French cinema. He frequently praised Hollywood directors like Alfred Hitchcock and Howard Hawks and soon became one of the founders of the French New Wave.
Another Great Mind from Cahiers du Cinéma
Shot in and around Paris without props,Alphavillewas way ahead of its time.Godard perfectly captures society’s waning hold on reality, while Constantine plays the protagonist with a desperate ferocity.Throughout the 99-minute running time, the director never stops probing, shocking, and provoking his viewers.
The film won the Golden Bear award at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival. It has also left a lasting legacy in pop culture and the real world. For example, German synth-pop band Alphaville took their name from the Godard movie. The affluent São Paulo suburb, Alphaville is also named after the film.
