Pauline Kael

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Pauline Keal the women behind the Legend.

                                                                            

Pauline Keal 

By: Samantha Weiss

Criticism was a formal affair and then Pauline Kael was born. 

Before Pauline critics wore detachment like it was a badge of honor. They handed down movie reviews from a professional distance. 

Then on June 19, 1919, in Petaluma, California the daughter of a Polish immigrant farmer

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Pauline Keal's biography photo

threw all we knew about movie reviews out the window. 

Pauline did not just analyze movies she experienced them, when she wrote about her experience, she had such an emotional honesty that no one from America had when they wrote about film. 

Her path in this industry was anything but straight. She went to UC Berkeley where she studied philosophy and tried to become a playwriter but ultimately failed. After this she spent years in New York writing for tiny journals, and she even broadcasted for a San Francisco radio. She never got a large audience to pay attention. 

Until... She did and when they did 

Her 1965 collection of "I Lost It at the Movies" became a bestseller and by 1968 she was at The New Yorker where she stayed for 23 years. 

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"Bonnie and Clyde" Keal's review

The moment that made her a legend in this field was her movie critic of Arthur Penn's Bonnie and Clyde. When she was writing this, she sat down and wrote over seven thousand words calling this movie the most exciting American film in years. 

This review single handily saved this film at the box office and even helped it earn ten Academy Award nominations. 

What made her so popular?

Well, Keal had a method, she had no rubric, no star system, no theory to apply. She brought everything she was to every single screening. She honestly just trusted her gut and went with it. She could write an amazing review on Bonnie and Clyde and the with the same voice and conviction take down West Side Story. 

Both felt true

Both felt alive

She retired in 1991 and unfortunately died on September 3, 2001, in Massachusetts at the young age of 82. 

Even though she has passed her legacy continues on. 

Two huge movie critics A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis say that Keal is the reason that they write about film. 

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The art of Pauline Kael

She even won the National Book Award in 1974 which was the first time it went to a book about movies. This was a couple years prior to her death. She went on to publish 13 of them.

Pauline Kael gave us a way to be passionate, personal, and completely unafraid. In a world that never stops arguing about movies. 

That is a legacy that is worth more than any award.  

Claude AI was used for research and my speech for the presentation.

 

Shock and Awe

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Shock and Awe movie poster

 

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Shock and Awe's DVD cover

In a world that news spreads fast and everyone has opinions and values on what the world needs. The Knight Ridder journalist stand out for doing something pretty simple but in today's world hard. 

These writers didn't just go along with everyone else's opinion, or values they stayed strong in the face of adversity. That is why they are seen as "heroes" in the script and honestly in the true story of life and how journalist should be seen.  

While a lot of the major news outlets were repeating claims about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, these writers at Knight Ridder slowed down, asked questions, and actually checked the information to make sure it was solid and true. This is the kind of honesty and independence that makes them so important even and especially today. 

Journalist today should be reminded of this story and how their job isn't to be first but to be right and truthful. It's very easy to follow the crowd, especially when big organizations or even the government are pushing a narrative. 

However, the Knight Ridder reporters showed what real journalism looks like, which means that they were willing to stand alone to find the truth.

Today, with all the social media, clickbait headlines, and the pressure journalist feel to get stories out fast. Their example pushes journalist to think.

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Part of the movie Shock and Awe

Are we reporting what's true?

or 

Are we just reporting what's popular?

For the general public these journalists matter because they looked out for the truth when it really matters. Most of the people on this earth rely on the news to understand what is happening especially when it comes to something serious like war. 

The Knight Ridder reporters were trying to give people accurate information even if it wasn't what the media outlets were trying to sell. This story that they were telling also called out the public. We can see how their reporting was also out there, but it never got as much attention as the bigger, more dramatic headlines.

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Movie poster of the movie Shock and Awe

This comes to show how people ignore quieter and more careful journalism in favor of what is louder or even sometimes more emotional. It's not just on journalist to do better but the audience that is willing to pay attention to what is being read or watched. 

In the end, the Knight Ridder journalist are heroes because they stuck to the truth, even when it wasn't easy or popular. Sure, they may have not had the biggest platform, and they may not have gotten immediate recognition, but they did their job the right way.

Journalism isn't just about the hype but it's about honesty and persistence and having the courage
to question what everyone else accepts.