It Don't Worry Me: The Revolutionary American Films of the Seventies

by Ryan Gilbey

Book Overview

A close look at the maverick filmmakers of the seventies--from Scorsese and Coppola to Spielberg and Lucas--who forever altered the landscape of cinema The 1970s were a landmark era in American film,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0571211240
• ISBN13: 9780571211241
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Length: 262 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.2" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

I Heart The Seventies AND this book

It's refreshing (and rare) when a film critic understands that movies are more than an extension of literature and theater. Most critics merely review the screenplay and the acting, but Ryan Gilbey obviously appreciates all of the elements that go into filmmaking, from the visual compositions to the lighting, editing and art direction to the psychological sense of space to the aural textures and everything in between. I love that he writes so deeply and intelligently about "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," a Scorcese masterpiece that is usually ignored. As a teenager in the seventies, I watched that movie a dozen times, fascinated by the tiny details that Gilbey brilliantly explores. With the recent revival in seventies cinema worship, I was afraid there was nothing left to say on the subject. But Gilbey brings a sharp probing eye and intriguing new insight to the films he discusses. He dares to tackle DePalma without going on and on about the obvious Hitchcock nods. He gives "American Grafitti" the full credit it deserves as a truly groundbreaking work of cinematic layering that predates Robert Altman's "Nashville." He ingeniously points out that "The Godfather" might not have earned its classic status without the superimpositions of "Godfather 2". He presents compelling theories as to why Peter Bogdanovich and William Friedkin never lived up to their early successes. He reminds us how innovative "Annie Hall" was at the time, how interesting Jonathan Demme can be, and how complex Terrence Malick films are. My only complaint: Sometimes it's obvious that Gilbey was just a baby when these films were released (he seems to assume that DePalma was well-respected/received during that era, etc.) but it's nice to know the films can still work their magic after all these years. I wish he had written more about the directors' later films but I guess that's another book. At least he mentions them briefly, and also tips his hat to the new wave of auteurs like Wes Anderson, David Lynch, etc. Personally, I believe we are living in a new Golden Age of Cinema that rivals the seventies. Since the late nineties, the "indies" have given us so many new interesting directors and eccentric visions that it's hard for the average filmgoer to keep up with them all. Maybe the talented Ryan Gilbey will turn his critical lens on the last ten years of moviemaking for his next book -- and blow away all those boring critics who can't stop reviewing movies as if they're writing book reports for English class.

Witty, brilliant survey of Seventies Cinema

Granted, I am already a fervent fan of the "Raging Bulls-Easy Riders" Seventies filmmakers, the era when American Cinema flourished- and yet Gilbey's work brought me fresh, witty insight into the works. The author is a master of the succinct summation that captures a detail in the films you might overlook, even with repeated viewings, plus the book is great fun to read. It's a perfect balance of scholarship and entertainment, with just enough potentially divisive opinion making to keep you plunging ahead to finish a chapter. There is an obvious debt to Pauline Kael but Gilbey's fresh perspective on the era (due to his youth) lends the analysis more insight and depth than Kael. It's a shame this book isn't getting more distribution. The author needs a better publicist in the US! Keep writing, Mr. Gilbey! A new generation needs your writing to remind them of what they're missing at the soulless multiplexes of today!