It Don't Worry Me

by ryan-gilbey

The 1970s were a Golden Age for American film-making, with the emergence of such talents as Scorsese, Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas, De Palma and Altman. Ryan Gilbey now looks afresh at the remarkable movies of this era, and their gifted makers. Today these directors are sometimes lambasted as sell-outs or burn-outs, but their best films of the Seventies - from American Graffiti to The Conversation, Nashville to Carrie, Badlands to Taxi Driver - still feel as urgent and innovative as they did on first release, and still inspire young film-makers at a time when movies are once more depressingly formulaic. These directors cultivated a fascinating eclecticism, driven by creative hunger and insatiable imagination. But what in the American scene were they reacting against, and just as crucially, what were they celebrating (or pillaging from other sources)? Gilbey also considers directors who established a body of work in the Seventies (Woody Allen), who blossomed as the decade progressed (David Lynch, Jonathan Demme), or who were prominent figures without being prolific (Stanley Kubrick, Terrence Malick). He takes each film and assesses its place in history while also scrutinising it as if for the very first time - as if it were coming to a cinema near you this Friday ...

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Cultural, Media Tie In

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on movies I've read.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Indulgent bait and switch book. You think you are getting some sort of analysis of 1970s cinema. Instead, you get a hipster author who purposely spends time emphasizing directors second tier films to show you how much a of devoted hipster fan he is. We are not going to talk about Spielberg's Jaws but instead focus on his T.V. movie Duel and on Sugarland Express. We are going to emphasize Mean Streets over Taxi Driver for Scorsese. We are deep diving into American Graffiti instead of Star Wars. We are going to trash Carrie. We are going to denigrate The Long Goodbye. The writer is mean spirited in his analysis and uses the deep cuts to show how clever and non-mainstream he is. Ooooh! He's as rebellious as 70s cinema! Pass on this.

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This examination of a variety of significant film directors (Spielberg, Scorcese, Altman, Kubrik etc) & their significant films of the 1970s is certainly of interest to film buffs. And the author writes about them with intelligence & insight. Unfortunately, I can't find any biographical info about Mr Gilbey. I really wanted to ascertain how old he was when this book was published (2005) because what I did find frustrating was the amount of condescension he pours on those films from these directors he doesn't like. It felt like he might have been 30 or under, & presumably having never directed a film himself, when he was presenting his opinions as facts. So, the certainty that only he could identify the difference between a classic & a turkey got a bit insulting. But still of interest.

[Stephen Lavington · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought-provoking in parts, with some interesting views on Francis Ford Coppola in particular, but very little of this book lingered with me.

It deliberately unmoors itself from both the history of the era of 70s film, and the stories (and gossip) around the productions themselves (the latter done, it seems, as an inexplicably snide pop at Peter Biskind's (superior) Easy Riders, Raging Bulls).

The pure criticism that's left lacks a consistent central thesis and, packaged as a selection of synopses of the filmographies of key directors, felt a bit thin. Some nicely crafted passages and interesting conclusions but overall it is difficult to work out the purpose of this book.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

KSKS

[Justinbwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's easiest to read a book of criticism when the critic shares your opinions. For the most part, I tended to approve of his assessments, though there were definitely major exceptions, especially his negative comments around Apocalypse Now. He hit on the major filmmakers and it was nice to add some perspective around people who are often overlooked like Johnathan Demme. The best part of the book was the insight offered into the different perspectives of the various filmmakers and how that affected their craft.

I "discovered" films like Thieves Like Us from this book and am glad that I did. Not essential reading, but a fairly breezy read for fans of 70s cinema.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

http://www.filmlinc.com/fcm/online/bo...

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gilbey offers some fresh perspectives on the film directors of the 1970s.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with the reviews by 'Justinbwood' and 'Alex.'