So on this day of reflection I say again, thank you for going on this journey with me. I'll see you at the movies.
Roger Ebert (1942-2013)
Normally, I let my goodbyes on this blog pass without commentary but I can't let Roger Ebert's death go without sharing my favorite memory, out of countless moments spent in appreciation of the man's great mind and love of film. I was re-watching Citizen Kane, in preparation for writing an essay on it. And I remember noticing Ebert's commentary track and thinking, "Well, I'll just listen to a few minutes of this for inspiration." I rarely have the patience for commentary tracks. Of course, I ended up listening to the whole thing, utterly enthralled as Ebert brought the film back to me in all its wonder, its strange wildness and glory. That to me is Ebert's great legacy as a critic. He never lost the ability to marvel, to be generous, and simply, to watch a film. And he saw more of them in his lifetime than most of us could ever hope to match. Goodbye, Mr. Ebert. You will be missed.
I did not realize he had passed away :-( What a sad loss to us all!
ReplyDeleteWow - he looks SO YOUNG in that photo.
ReplyDeleteThis was a touching tribute. Thank you for posting.