REMEMBERING DAVID BORDWELL

September 1–8

David Bordwell (1947–2024), a beloved film scholar, passed away earlier this year at the age of 76. The author, co-author, or editor of more than 20 books, including the essential textbook Film Art: An Introduction (co-written by his wife, Kristin Thomson, a guest curator for this series), a regular contributor to the Criterion Collection’s Observations on Film Art' video essay series, and a longtime University of Wisconsin–Madison teacher, Bordwell analyzed and considered film with an approachable, lively tone—he loved cinema (it is estimated he watched tens of thousands of films in his lifetime, though he would never think to brag), and, as written in his obituary, “guided countless colleagues, students, and film lovers to heightened awareness of the medium’s artistic possibilities.”

Remembered by New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis (also serving as a guest curator) for his “inviting, sui generis intellectual space that could be enjoyed by scholars and general readers alike,” and by Roger Ebert as “our best writer on the cinema,” Bordwell’s impact and legacy is widespread: film curators and critics, cinephiles and casual viewers have been shaped, educated, and invigorated by Bordwell’s perspectives. With this series, we invited friends and colleagues of Bordwell’s to select a film that was special to him, in the hopes that, through these titles, we can pay tribute to his enthusiasm for cinema through our own. Learn more about David Bordwell and read his essays at davidbordwell.net.