Jonathan Rosenbaum

Jonathan Rosenbaum’s website functions as a clearinghouse of sorts for almost everything he has ever written, right on down to his first published critical work for a high school newspaper as a teenager in the 1950s.  So the immediate thing one often misses is his thoughts on current issues — though his reprints usually come with a few paragraphs worth of contemporary reflection.  Of course, Rosenbaum has retired as a full-time critic, so one can read his employment of online resources as a pensioner’s pastime.

When accessing his website the first thing one notices is its crude design.  He has gone on record before stating that he does not have the funding for a professional designer though still, one can do wonders with stock page formats and there are no shortage of young people with the know-how and time to achieve better effects for little to no pay.  In addition to the clumsy and uninspired layout the search function is not very manageable, as the archives do not pull up article titles but rather extremely long pages with multiple entries one must scroll through one by one.  That makes for two huge strikes against the website, with regards to design and functionality.

When it comes to content I must say that I am not always admiring of the lengthy, personal essayist style and manner of the writing.  Rosenbaum often writes as much about himself as the films he is reviewing and that would be ok if he had an inordinately interesting background or personality.  Without those necessities, the personal essay style leaves a lot to be desired.

Of course respect must be given to Rosenbaum as one of the giants of modern American film criticism and the extensive nature of his online collection of critical writings makes for a potential treasure trove of archival material for the discerning investigator.  Yet and still I must admit to rarely being impressed by either the quality of his writing or the insights gleaned.  Rosenbaum’s Facebook feed is often more interesting than his website, which may hint to the fact that a fresh story or two here and there could inject much-needed life into what can be a very inert homepage.

www.jonathanrosenbaum.com