I think Jonathan Rosenbaum is absolutely right: it's the best on-line magazine (not only in english), although its austere design is not helpful when articles are printed. But that is just a silly point, because the whole concept of Rouge is outstanding. I guess Rouge is an extension of Movie Mutations, that book-experience which hasn't been yet understood in its true dimension.

You are tooting your own horn. And I think there are some ethics issue, but assume that this blog is a more informal venue, perhaps not too serious of a breach, if any.

Even while I agree, I like Rouge.

Why haven't I heard about this site before?
And so far this is the only serious online cinema magazine where I could read something about the Bosnian film Grbavica. A question for Jonathan: Did you have a chance to see it, and if yes, what do you think about it?

virgilx wrote: "...I think there are some ethics issue..."

That's a silly statement. Anyone (including the creators) should be able to mention Rouge as the best (or at least one of the best) online film magazines in the English language. This blog is also an opportunity for Chicago Reader film critics to write things that won't be published in the Reader itself (where else can you find Pat Graham pining for UFOs and aliens?). Mr. Rosenbaum is not making any money from "tooting his own horn," and to accuse a breach of ethics is unfounded.

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I enjoyed your article on Ritwik Ghatak. I recently watched Ghatak's A River Called Titash (spelled Titas in the west?). While the film's narrative and performances never held me still for the entire duration, the inventive sound was enthralling. One key scene involves a newly married bride (arranged marriage) and her husband, whom she has known for less than a day, on their wedding night. The soundtrack is filled with an increasingly loud heartbeat (hers) that grows in rapidity until the husband throws the bride on the bed. Ghatak's soundtracks are always a treasure.

The film was as brutal and heavy-handed as Visconti's La Terra Trema, but as poetic as Renoir's The River. The two competing sides never meshed. Still, it remains haunting.

wrong, virgilx. he is tooting his own horn and it is a breach of ethics, if utterly inconsequential.

To Enka: No, I haven't seen this.

I wish Jonathan Rosenbaum would toot his hoen alot more.(I would like to know when he has a new piece running in another paper or magazine) This mention of Rouge lead me to the archives and i was delighted to discover his extraordinary piece on Sun Shines Bright. For a few years i had been hoping that Jonathan would write about this wonderful film never realizing that he already had. I suppose I prefer Judge Priest because of the presence of Will Rogers. While I am not immune to star worship i find the earlier film wittier and in the later film I miss the quietly moving scene in which Judge Priest speaks to the picture of his deceased wife. However the sublime accretion of human, melancholy moments(Winninger's tour-de-force sermon, the haunting final exit with its intimations of isolation and mortality, etc.)in Sun Shines Bright marks it as one of Ford's best films. Shigehiko Hasumi's comment about the traumatic elemnet he perceives in Ford's films is dead on. Nearly all of his major films from Pilgrimage, The Cavalry Trilogy, Grapes of Wrath, Young Mr. Lincoln, Wagonmaster, Seven Women, Searchers, Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, My Darling Clementine, and How Green Was My Valley. (Not to mention a number of lesser films such as They were Expendable, the pretentious and hollow The Fugitive, Cheyenne Autumn, The Last Hurrah,Wings of Eagles(where the trauma is also physical), and even the delightful Donovan's Reef wherein paradise is marred a little by the trauma of father and mother loss.

The Unethical but Inconsequential Horn-Tooter

I'm glad you are having fun with it. I didn't intend to make a big deal out of it, but I assume you do take the responsibility of criticism more seriously than most.

Yeah, Rouge is pure dope. Up and down, no doubt about it -- indespensible. Adrian Martin's essay on Malick is a treasure.

Unrelated: I just wanted to say, Mr Rosenbaum, your essay on SATANTANGO definitely lead me to the film and as such I feel compelled to thank you, however informally, because it afforded me to write something I'm very proud of on a piece of vital art. (My essay has been published by Matt Zoller Seitz's The House Next Door this weekend and I invite you to read it. Also, Matt's got some good current reviews up, too, including one from his new post at the NY Times. This parenthetical's way too long and probably unecessary...)

I also agree that there should be more horn tooting from Mr. Rosenbaum. His writings have been an invaluable resource in expanding my knowledge of world cinema, and now I have Rouge to delve into. Sorry, to sound like a useless sycophant.

I also have a question for Mr. Rosenbaum, although it's completely unrelated to the post:
Have you ever seen Guy Debord's The Decline and Fall of the Spectacle-Commodity Economy, and if so what do you think of it?

I've seen some Debord films, but right now I can't recall which ones. I didn't dislike them, but they didn't leave much of a lingering impression.

I read wonderful articles on Raoul Ruiz's films on Rogue that were enormously helpful and cannot be found anywhere else. A fine source most definitely.

Film: “Strive For Happiness” Released

Press Release
Local Teacher Presents Powerful Documentary on Coping with Mental Illness
"A film about the lives of those who live with or care for loved ones who suffer from serious forms of mental illness."

Phillipsburg, NJ, August 12, 2008: As a teenager, Richard M. Patricia, a television, radio and digital media teacher at Warren County Technical School, cared for a “loved one” who suffered from serious forms of mental illness. The film, “Strive For Happiness” is documented by director and producer, Richard M. Patricia as it takes a closer look at his life growing up in a household with a "loved one" that suffered from serious forms of mental illness. The interviews throughout the film reflect what his life was like growing up in a household dealing with mental illness. Patricia’s hope is that this film raises awareness about the illness, removes some of the stigmas that still exist, and hopefully makes some change in policies that currently exist. He also wants this film will catch the attention of many family members throughout the country that know or lived with a loved one who suffers from mental illness. This film is also relevant for individuals who care for loved ones with other types of illnesses.

“It is my feeling that Strive for Happiness would be very helpful to individuals who are caring for loved ones to remind them that they are not alone, for individuals entering the mental health field to enable them to see the individual as a person, and to the public to help them better understand mental illness and to eliminate the stigma that attaches to mental illness,” said Debra L. Wentz, Ph.D., CEO of
NJAMHA. “The film really demonstrates how the understanding of a loved one goes a long way on the path to wellness. In addition, it helps to show that it is important to continue to love the person suffering from mental illness in their new form.”
To find out more about this film or to purchase a copy, visit
www.striveforhappiness.com.