Raymond Durgnat
Encyclopedia
Raymond Durgnat was a distinctive and highly influential British
film critic, who was born in London
of Swiss
parents. During his life he wrote for virtually every major English language
film publication.
Durgnat's books include Films and Feelings (1967), A Mirror for England: British Movies from Austerity to Affluence (1970) and The Strange Case of Alfred Hitchcock
(1974). He also wrote books on Luis Buñuel
, Jean Renoir
, Georges Franju
, and King Vidor
. A book on Hitchcock's 1960 classic Psycho
was published posthumously. He wrote for Films and Filming, Movie, Time Out, Oz
and Film Comment among many other publications, and often lectured on cinema at various academic institutions, notably as visiting professor at the University of East London
towards the end of his life.
parents who had emigrated to England
in 1924. Durgnat's family was of French Huguenot descent, and he was raised in a religious Calvinist
household. Durgnat's father worked as a window dresser
but lost his job in 1932; afterwards, he opened a drapery shop.
As a young man, Durgnat spent two years in the national service serving in the Education Corps
in Hong Kong
, then still part of the British Empire
. After leaving the army, he studied English at Pembroke College, Cambridge
. With the filmmaker Don Levy
, Durgnat became one of the first post-graduate students of film in Britain, studying under Thorold Dickinson
(director of Gaslight
and The Next of Kin
) at the Slade School of Fine Art
from 1960.
In the 1950s, he had written for Sight and Sound, but he later fell out with this British Film Institute
publication after the exit of Gavin Lambert
in 1957, often accusing it of elitism, puritanism and upper-middle-class snobbery, notably in his 1963 essay "Standing Up For Jesus", (which appeared in the short-lived magazine Motion, with which he was strongly involved) and in his 1965 piece "Auteurs and Dream Factories". He did, however, return to write for another BFI publication, the Monthly Film Bulletin
, in the years leading up to its demise in 1991, and contributed to Sight and Sound again later in the 1990s.
In the mid-'60s he was a major player in the nascent London Film-Makers' Co-op
(LFMC), then based at Better Books off Charing Cross Road, a hub of the emerging British 'underground'. As the counter-culture turned left and, simultaneously, sought state funding for its activities, Durgnat looked to the past in major works on film style (Images of the Mind, 1968-9), Hitchcock
and Renoir
.
In the late 1970s he taught film at the University of California, San Diego
alongside Manny Farber
, Jean-Pierre Gorin
and Jonathan Rosenbaum
. Returning to the UK at the close of the decade, he launched a series of withering assaults on the linguistics-based film theory that had come to dominate the young film academia over the previous decade.
Durgnat's socio-political approach - strongly supportive of the working classes and, almost as a direct result of this, American
popular culture
, and dismissive of Left-wing intellectuals who he accused of actually being petit-bourgeois
conservatives in disguise, and dismissive of overt politicisation of film criticism, refusing to bring his own Left-wing views overtly into his writings on film - can best be described as "radical populist".
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
film critic, who was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
of Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
parents. During his life he wrote for virtually every major English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
film publication.
Durgnat's books include Films and Feelings (1967), A Mirror for England: British Movies from Austerity to Affluence (1970) and The Strange Case of Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
(1974). He also wrote books on Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel
Luis Buñuel Portolés was a Spanish-born filmmaker — later a naturalized citizen of Mexico — who worked in Spain, Mexico, France and the US..-Early years:...
, Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
, Georges Franju
Georges Franju
-External links:* at Allmovie...
, and King Vidor
King Vidor
King Wallis Vidor was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose career spanned nearly seven decades...
. A book on Hitchcock's 1960 classic Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
was published posthumously. He wrote for Films and Filming, Movie, Time Out, Oz
Oz (magazine)
Oz was first published as a satirical humour magazine between 1963 and 1969 in Sydney, Australia and, in its second and better known incarnation, became a "psychedelic hippy" magazine from 1967 to 1973 in London...
and Film Comment among many other publications, and often lectured on cinema at various academic institutions, notably as visiting professor at the University of East London
University of East London
The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...
towards the end of his life.
Biography
Durgnat was born in 1932 to SwissSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
parents who had emigrated to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1924. Durgnat's family was of French Huguenot descent, and he was raised in a religious Calvinist
Calvinism
Calvinism is a Protestant theological system and an approach to the Christian life...
household. Durgnat's father worked as a window dresser
Window dresser
Window dressers arrange displays of goods in shop windows or within a shop itself. They may work for design companies contracted to work for clients or for department stores, independent retailers, airport or hotel shops....
but lost his job in 1932; afterwards, he opened a drapery shop.
As a young man, Durgnat spent two years in the national service serving in the Education Corps
Education Corps
An Education Corps of an armed forces generally refers to the corps responsible for the education of the soldier in the army in question. The following military units are called Education Corps:*Education and Youth Corps, of the Israel Defense Forces...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, then still part of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
. After leaving the army, he studied English at Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College, Cambridge
Pembroke College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England.The college has over seven hundred students and fellows, and is the third oldest college of the university. Physically, it is one of the university's larger colleges, with buildings from almost every century since its...
. With the filmmaker Don Levy
Don Levy
Don Levy was an artist and film-maker.Levy was born in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia. After studying theoretical chemistry at the University of Sydney, he was awarded a Research Scholarship to Cambridge University. There he obtained a PhD in Theoretical Chemical Physics in 1960...
, Durgnat became one of the first post-graduate students of film in Britain, studying under Thorold Dickinson
Thorold Dickinson
Thorold Barron Dickinson was a British film director, screenwriter, producer, and Britains's first university Professor of Film.-Early life and career:...
(director of Gaslight
Gaslight (1940 film)
Gaslight is a 1940 film directed by Thorold Dickinson, based on Patrick Hamilton's play Gas Light which stars Anton Walbrook, Diana Wynyard, and Frank Pettingell...
and The Next of Kin
The Next of Kin
The Next of Kin, also known as Next of Kin, is a 1942 World War II propaganda film produced by Ealing Studios.The film was originally commissioned by the British War Office as a training film to promote the government propaganda message that "Careless talk costs lives"...
) at the Slade School of Fine Art
Slade School of Fine Art
The Slade School of Fine Art is a world-renownedart school in London, United Kingdom, and a department of University College London...
from 1960.
In the 1950s, he had written for Sight and Sound, but he later fell out with this British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
publication after the exit of Gavin Lambert
Gavin Lambert
Gavin Lambert was a British-born screenwriter, novelist and biographer who lived for part of his life in Hollywood...
in 1957, often accusing it of elitism, puritanism and upper-middle-class snobbery, notably in his 1963 essay "Standing Up For Jesus", (which appeared in the short-lived magazine Motion, with which he was strongly involved) and in his 1965 piece "Auteurs and Dream Factories". He did, however, return to write for another BFI publication, the Monthly Film Bulletin
Monthly Film Bulletin
The Monthly Film Bulletin was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a narrow arthouse release. The MFB was edited in the mid-1950s by David Robinson, in the late...
, in the years leading up to its demise in 1991, and contributed to Sight and Sound again later in the 1990s.
In the mid-'60s he was a major player in the nascent London Film-Makers' Co-op
London Film-Makers' Co-op
The London Film-makers' Co-op, or LFMC, was a British film-making workshop founded in 1966. It ceased to exist in 1999 when it merged with London Video Arts to form LUX....
(LFMC), then based at Better Books off Charing Cross Road, a hub of the emerging British 'underground'. As the counter-culture turned left and, simultaneously, sought state funding for its activities, Durgnat looked to the past in major works on film style (Images of the Mind, 1968-9), Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
and Renoir
Jean Renoir
Jean Renoir was a French film director, screenwriter, actor, producer and author. As a film director and actor, he made more than forty films from the silent era to the end of the 1960s...
.
In the late 1970s he taught film at the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
alongside Manny Farber
Manny Farber
Emanuel "Manny" Farber was an American painter, film critic and writer. Often described as "iconoclastic" , Farber developed a distinctive prose style and set of theoretical stances which have had a large influence on later generations of film critics; Susan Sontag considered him to be "the...
, Jean-Pierre Gorin
Jean-Pierre Gorin
Jean-Pierre Gorin is a French filmmaker and professor, best known for his work with Nouvelle Vague luminary Jean-Luc Godard during what is often referred to as Godard's "radical" period....
and Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum is an American film critic. Rosenbaum was the head film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987 until 2008, when he retired at the age of 65...
. Returning to the UK at the close of the decade, he launched a series of withering assaults on the linguistics-based film theory that had come to dominate the young film academia over the previous decade.
Durgnat's socio-political approach - strongly supportive of the working classes and, almost as a direct result of this, American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, and dismissive of Left-wing intellectuals who he accused of actually being petit-bourgeois
Petite bourgeoisie
Petit-bourgeois or petty bourgeois is a term that originally referred to the members of the lower middle social classes in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
conservatives in disguise, and dismissive of overt politicisation of film criticism, refusing to bring his own Left-wing views overtly into his writings on film - can best be described as "radical populist".
External links
- Raymond Durgnat, a site dedicated to introducing and archiving Durgnat's work.
- A Raymond Durgnat Bibliography (A descriptive, illustrated bibliography of the work of noted film critic) Cinemonkey.com
- A tribute to the late Raymond Durgnat By Henry K Miller, Vertigo magazine, Vol.2 No.4 - Spring 2003
- ‘Culture Always is a Fog’ - an interview that took place in mid to late 1977, when Raymond Durgnat was a visiting professor in the Critical Studies program of the Film DepartmentUCLA School of Theater Film and TelevisionThe UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television , is one of the twelve schools within UCLA. It is located in Los Angeles, California, USA, and is unique in that it combines all three of these aspects into a single school. The graduate programs are usually ranking within the top 3 nationally,...
at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), published in the e-film journal Rouge.com - Durgnat on Bells are ringing
- Critic who carved out new territory in the study of film Obituary by Charles Barr - The Independent, Saturday, 25 May 2002
- "Raymond Durgnat," an essay by Jonathan RosenbaumJonathan RosenbaumJonathan Rosenbaum is an American film critic. Rosenbaum was the head film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987 until 2008, when he retired at the age of 65...
, originally written for Film Comment in 1973, now with an Afterword written in 2002.