Pauline Kael: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Pauline Kael wrote criticism as performance: first person, slangy, combative, and devoted to the vulgar energy of movies over the polish of art cinema. Her lineage runs from the American magazine critics who treated film as a popular art, through Berkeley's repertory and radio culture, into the New Yorker column that made criticism a literary career. This map traces the critics she read, the scene she came from, and the writers who still argue with her.

The Kynda mix for Pauline Kael

• Key Influence · Agee on Film by James Agee (1958). Agee's Nation and Time columns of the 1940s established the model Kael inherited: a serious literary writer applying full prose intelligence to commercial Hollywood pictures without apology. Kael repeatedly measured American criticism against Agee, admiring his responsiveness while faulting the sentimentality and self-doubt she thought softened his judgments. Her own first-person voice is an argument with his.','
• Influencia Obscura · The Film Criticism of Otis Ferguson by Otis Ferguson (1971). Ferguson wrote for The New Republic in the 1930s and died in World War II at 36, leaving a body of jazz-inflected, wisecracking movie reviews almost nobody reads. He pioneered the colloquial American critical voice — fast, unpretentious, allergic to European art-house solemnity — decades before Kael. The collected edition was assembled by Robert Wilson, and Kael's generation treated Ferguson as the buried origin point.
• Local Roots · A Movie by Bruce Conner (1958). Kael spent the 1950s in Berkeley programming the Cinema Guild and Studio theatres with Edward Landberg and writing the famously opinionated program notes that became her first readership. Conner's found-footage collage emerged from exactly that Bay Area film culture — Canyon Cinema, the art schools, the repertory houses — the experimental scene Kael knew intimately and argued with rather than ignored.
• Beyond the Medium · Our Theatres in the Nineties by George Bernard Shaw (1932). Shaw's Saturday Review drama columns invented the reviewer as pugilist: personal, funny, relentlessly unfair to sacred reputations, and more entertaining than much of what he reviewed. Kael, a philosophy student at Berkeley who wrote plays before she wrote about movies, worked in that tradition — criticism as a performance with a point of view, where the critic's temperament is openly part of the evidence.
• Peer · The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968 by Andrew Sarris (1968). Sarris imported auteur theory to America in Film Culture, and Kael demolished it in 'Circles and Squares' (Film Quarterly, 1963), mocking its ranking tables and its premise that a director's signature redeems weak films. Their feud structured two decades of American film debate and divided readers into camps. His book is the systematic case her best polemic was aimed at.
• From the Canon · I Lost It at the Movies by Pauline Kael (1965). Her first collection, drawn from KPFA broadcasts, Berkeley program notes and little magazines, became an improbable bestseller and made her a national figure before she had a staff job anywhere. It contains 'Circles and Squares' and the early pieces that set her permanent terms: hostility to pretension, suspicion of the sacred, and the critic writing as an exposed individual rather than an authority.
• Key Collaborator · Hiroshima by John Hersey (1946). William Shawn, who edited The New Yorker from 1952 to 1987, hired Kael in 1968 and protected her enormous, profane, argumentative pieces against house decorum for nearly two decades. Hersey's Hiroshima — which Shawn shepherded into an entire issue — demonstrates the editorial nerve that made such a tenure possible: a magazine willing to break its own form for a writer worth the space.
• Legacy · Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino (2022). Tarantino has repeatedly named Kael as a formative writer, and this book of essays on 1970s American movies adopts her whole apparatus: first-person enthusiasm, genre-forward taste, contempt for reverence, and prose that argues with the reader. He has said her writing functioned for him like a rock critic's — a model of how to be passionate in print about disreputable pictures.

What influenced Pauline Kael

• George Bernard Shaw (1856). Ebert compared the enduring appeal of Kael’s reviews with Shaw’s writing. (also via Our Theatres in the Nineties) “Like George Bernard Shaw, she wrote reviews that will be read for their style, humor and energy long after some of their subjects have been forgotten.” (Wikipedia)
• James Agee. Asked about critical models, Kael identifies Agee as her dominant film-criticism model. (also via Agee on Film) “He was the dominant one for films. I felt an excitement reading Agee.” (Scraps from the Loft)
• Blow Out by Brian De Palma. Kael compares De Palma's achievement in Blow Out to Altman and Coppola. “De Palma has sprung to the place that Robert Altman achieved with films such as McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Nashville and that Francis Ford Coppola reached with The Godfather films—that is, to the place where genre is transcended” (Wikipedia)
• Blade Runner by Vangelis. Critic Pauline Kael's negative review of Blade Runner in The New Yorker. “"Blade Runner" is a suspenseless thriller; it appears to be a victim of its own imaginative use of hardware and miniatures and mattes.” (Wikipedia)
• The Immediate Experience by Robert Warshow (1962). The Immediate Experience (Robert Warshow) — titan for Pauline Kael “== See also == Gilbert Seldes Otis Ferguson Manny Farber James Agee Andrew Sarris Pauline Kael == Books == Robert Warshow: Immediate Experience.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Negative Space by Manny Farber (1971). Negative Space (Manny Farber) — titan for Pauline Kael “He wore jeans and plaid shirts and the hair had gone back from his great dome of a forehead by the time I met him." == Reputation and influence == "Pauline Kael..” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Film Criticism of Otis Ferguson by Otis Ferguson (1971). The Film Criticism of Otis Ferguson (Otis Ferguson) — ghost for Pauline Kael “Although he can be seen as a predecessor to film critics James Agee, Manny Farber, Pauline Kael, and Andrew Sarris, he has been characterized by Robert Christgau as "the first rock critic" due to his appreciation of jazz and its impact o…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Our Theatres in the Nineties by George Bernard Shaw (1932). Our Theatres in the Nineties (George Bernard Shaw) — culture for Pauline Kael “With her it was all personal." In a blurb for The Age of Movies, a collection of Kael's writings for the Library of America, Ebert wrote, "Like George Bernard Shaw, she wrote reviews that will be read for their style, humor and energy lo…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Intolerance by D. W. Griffith (1916). Kael named Intolerance as a film she held in exceptional esteem. “D. W. Griffith 's Intolerance (1916) was "the greatest movie ever made"” (Wikipedia)
• The Passion of Joan of Arc by Carl Theodor Dreyer (1928). Kael singled out Falconetti’s performance in Dreyer’s film. “Renée Falconetti 's performance in Carl Theodor Dreyer 's The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) was "the finest ever recorded on film"” (Wikipedia)
• Lenny Bruce (1925). Corliss compared the character of Kael’s writing with Lenny Bruce. “Kael's was loping, derisive, intimate, gag-packed, as American as Lenny Bruce .” (Wikipedia)
• Little Richard (1932). Corliss likened the impact of Kael’s criticism to Little Richard’s music. “Kael's writing was the battle cry of a vital and dangerous new era, the equivalent of Little Richard 's primal 'A wop bop a loo bop, a wop bam boom!' that announced the birth of rock 'n' roll.” (Wikipedia)
• Robert Duncan. Kael credits discussions with Duncan and other friends with sparking her interest in movies. “I think it was more my friends’ reactions and arguing with them about movies that got me interested—friends such as Robert Duncan, the poet, and another poet, Robert Horan.” (Scraps from the Loft)
• Agee on Film by James Agee (1958). Agee on Film (James Agee) — titan for Pauline Kael (openlibrary.org)
• The Seven Lively Arts by Gilbert Seldes (1924). The Seven Lively Arts (Gilbert Seldes) — ghost for Pauline Kael (openlibrary.org)
• Axel's Castle by Edmund Wilson (1931). Axel's Castle (Edmund Wilson) — culture for Pauline Kael (openlibrary.org)
• Art and Culture by Clement Greenberg (1961). Art and Culture (Clement Greenberg) — culture for Pauline Kael (openlibrary.org)

Peers and kindred spirits

• The New Yorker. Kael wrote for The New Yorker from 1968 to 1991. “Pauline Kael wrote for The New Yorker from 1967 until her retirement, in 1991. In 1968, shortly after the publication of her review of “Bonnie and Clyde,” she became the magazine’s film critic.” (The New Yorker)
• The New Republic. Kael worked at The New Republic in 1966–67. “Pauline was then writing for the New Republic . She had recently reviewed Masculin-Féminin after it had lasted but a week at the New Yorker cinema.” (The Guardian)
• Paramount Pictures. Kael briefly served as a consultant to Paramount Pictures. “In order to allow them all-Diller included-to save face, Beatty arranged a new deal for Pauline with Paramount. She was to stay on as a "creative production executive," helping to develop a number of potential screen projects.” (The Hollywood Reporter)
• McCall's. Kael wrote reviews for McCall’s. “I wrote the same way for McCall’s as for The New Yorker, and I always tried to be as direct and plain as I could be.” (Scraps from the Loft)
• University of California, Berkeley. Kael attended the University of California, Berkeley. “When I was a teenage philosophy student at Berkeley, my friends and I were devoted to James Agee because he was the only movie critic who spoke to us.” (Scraps from the Loft)
• Hiroshima by John Hersey (1946). Hiroshima (John Hersey) — collaborator for Pauline Kael “In 1946, Shawn persuaded Ross to run Hersey's story about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima as the entire contents of one issue.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Against Interpretation by Susan Sontag (1966). Against Interpretation (Susan Sontag) — peer for Pauline Kael “Reviews Micki and Maude, directed by Blake Edwards; Starman, directed by John Carpenter; The Flamingo Kid, directed by Garry Marshall == See also == Women in film Andrew Sarris Auteur theory Film criticism The New Yorker Susan Sontag == …” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Shampoo by Warren Beatty (1975). Shampoo (Warren Beatty) — collaborator for Pauline Kael “In 1979, Kael accepted an offer from Warren Beatty to be a consultant to Paramount Pictures, but left the position after only a few months to return to writing criticism.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Nashville by Robert Altman (1975). Nashville (Robert Altman) — collaborator for Pauline Kael “Sanford Schwartz writes that, in the 1960s, she "gave a breathing, textured life to the aims and sensibilities of Ingmar Bergman, Jean-Luc Godard, Federico Fellini, Satyajit Ray, Akira Kurosawa, François Truffaut, and Michelangelo Antoni…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• A Movie by Bruce Conner (1958). A Movie (Bruce Conner) — geography for Pauline Kael (themoviedb.org)
• Castro Street by Bruce Baillie (1966). Castro Street (Bruce Baillie) — geography for Pauline Kael (themoviedb.org)
• A Coney Island of the Mind by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1958). A Coney Island of the Mind (Lawrence Ferlinghetti) — geography for Pauline Kael (openlibrary.org)
• The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968 by Andrew Sarris (1968). The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929-1968 (Andrew Sarris) — peer for Pauline Kael “Roché is now dead, but the model for Catherine, the Jeanne Moreau role, is a German literary woman who is still alive; it was she who translated Lolita into German." She called the title characters "Mutt and Jeff, Sancho Panza and Don Qu…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• On Movies by Dwight Macdonald (1969). On Movies (Dwight Macdonald) — peer for Pauline Kael (openlibrary.org)

Who Pauline Kael influenced

• Paul Schrader. The article explicitly describes Schrader as working under Kael’s mentorship. “Like her other acolytes, I read her religiously, sent her everything I wrote and waited for her call.” (The Guardian)
• Stephanie Zacharek. Zacharek appears in the article’s list of critics acknowledging Kael’s influence. “I owe my career to her, not just because she was a friend and adviser, but because she was the first critic who made me understand what it meant to have a limitless capacity for joy.” (Salon)
• Wes Anderson (1969). Anderson called Kael’s writing an important inspiration for his films. “I started reading her New Yorker reviews in my school library when I was in 10th grade, and her books were always my guide for finding the right movies to watch and learning about filmmakers.” (The Rushmore Academy)
• Camille Paglia. Paglia named Kael as one of her two favorite critics. “this helped explain for me Kael’s emphatic use of the colloquial American voice—which I have also striven to do in my writing on popular culture.” (Salon)
• Willow. Lucas named a Willow character after Kael. “George Lucas named the villainous General Kael in "Willow" (1988) for her” (The New York Times)
• Ridley Scott (1937). Scott said Kael’s Blade Runner review changed his practice of reading reviews. ““I framed those pages and they've been in my office for 30 years to remind me there's only one critic that counts and that's you,” Scott said. “I haven't read critiques ever since.” (IndieWire)
• Armond White. White appears in the article’s list of critics acknowledging Kael’s influence. (also via The Resistance: Ten Years of Pop Culture That Shook the World) “Michael Sragow , [ 96 ] Armond White , [ 98 ] and Stephanie Zacharek of Salon .” (Wikipedia)
• Cinema Speculation. The book was inspired by Kael. “The second book titled Cinema Speculation , about films of the New Hollywood era, inspired by film critic Pauline Kael was published on November 1, 2022.” (Wikipedia)
• Great Movies by Roger Ebert (2002). Great Movies (Roger Ebert) — legacy for Pauline Kael “Roger Ebert wrote in an obituary that Kael "had a more positive influence on the climate for film in America than any other single person over the last three decades".” (en.wikipedia.org)
• A. O. Scott. The article identifies Scott as a critic who acknowledged Kael’s influence. “Critics who have acknowledged Kael's influence include, among many others, A. O. Scott of The New York Times ,” (Wikipedia)
• David Denby. The article names Denby among critics who acknowledged Kael’s influence. “Critics who have acknowledged Kael's influence include, among many others, A. O. Scott of The New York Times , [ 93 ] David Denby and Anthony Lane of The New Yorker ,” (Wikipedia)
• Anthony Lane. The article names Lane among critics who acknowledged Kael’s influence. “Critics who have acknowledged Kael's influence include, among many others, A. O. Scott of The New York Times , [ 93 ] David Denby and Anthony Lane of The New Yorker ,” (Wikipedia)
• David Edelstein. Edelstein appears in the article’s list of critics acknowledging Kael’s influence. “David Edelstein of New York Magazine , [ 96 ] Greil Marcus , [ 96 ] Elvis Mitchell , [ 97 ] Michael Sragow ,” (Wikipedia)
• Greil Marcus. Marcus appears in the article’s list of critics acknowledging Kael’s influence. “David Edelstein of New York Magazine , [ 96 ] Greil Marcus , [ 96 ] Elvis Mitchell , [ 97 ] Michael Sragow ,” (Wikipedia)
• Elvis Mitchell. Mitchell appears in the article’s list of critics acknowledging Kael’s influence. “David Edelstein of New York Magazine , [ 96 ] Greil Marcus , [ 96 ] Elvis Mitchell , [ 97 ] Michael Sragow ,” (Wikipedia)
• Michael Sragow. Sragow appears in the article’s list of critics acknowledging Kael’s influence. “David Edelstein of New York Magazine , [ 96 ] Greil Marcus , [ 96 ] Elvis Mitchell , [ 97 ] Michael Sragow ,” (Wikipedia)
• Quentin Tarantino. Tarantino explicitly credited Kael with helping form his aesthetic. “He read her criticism voraciously while growing up and said Kael was "as influential as any director was in helping me develop my aesthetic".” (Wikipedia)
• The Resistance: Ten Years of Pop Culture That Shook the World by Armond White (1995). The Resistance: Ten Years of Pop Culture That Shook the World (Armond White) — legacy for Pauline Kael “Scott of The New York Times, David Denby and Anthony Lane of The New Yorker, David Edelstein of New York Magazine, Greil Marcus, Elvis Mitchell, Michael Sragow, Armond White, and Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.” (en.wikipedia.org)