Biographie

Her first piece of film criticism for "The New Yorker" was a glowing review of Bonnie & Clyde (1967), written at a time when several critics were panning the film. Her review may have led to the film's eventual box office success and many Academy Award nominations the following year.

Kael gave an isolated positive review to Jessica Lange's much-maligned debut performance in King Kong (1976), writing that Lange's screen presence reminded her of Carole Lombard. She also singled out Morgan Freeman's early performance in Brubaker (1980) as the highlight of the movie. Both Lange and Freeman went on to become highly respected Oscar-winning actors.

The evil "General Kael" in Willow (1988) was named after Kael, who had been critical of producer George Lucas; she was not amused.

When her editor at the New Yorker, William Shawn, wanted her to rewrite her negative review of La balade sauvage (1973) as director Terrence Malick was a family friend of his, Kael replied, "Tough shit, Bill".

Despite her at times harsh critical nature, she was known among friends and co-workers as a warm and friendly person.

The words "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", which I saw on an Italian movie poster, are perhaps the briefest statement imaginable of the basic appeal of movies.

Movies are so rarely great art that if we cannot appreciate great trash, we have very little reason to be interested in them.

[from her review of Ce plaisir qu'on dit charnel (1971)] . . . A grimly purposeful satire about depersonalization and how we use each other sexually as objects, and, in Mike Nichols' cold, slick style, it is like a neon sign that spells out the soullessness of neon.

[from her review of Le grand frisson (1977)] "High Anxiety" is dedicated to Alfred Hitchcock as "the master of suspense", and it doesn't have a whisper of suspense. It doesn't operate on any level except that of bumbling slapstick farce, where most of the custard pies miss their targets.

I see little of more importance to the future of our country and of civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him.