COMM 380:  Media Criticism

The film begins with pedestrians stopping in front of the Chicago Theatre and taking pictures because there is a sign of remembrance of Roger Ebert, thus taking a part of him with them.  The celebratory tone is continued as the film shows footage of Roger Ebert speaking at his dedication ceremony in 2005 at the Chicago Theatre where he eloquently states that for him the movies were “machines that generate empathy.”  We are then suddenly transported to the present day where Roger Ebert is in the hospital because of his seemingly never-ending complications from multiple cancer treatments that has left him physically disfigured and unable to eat, drink, or even speak.  Although he can no longer talk in the traditional sense, Roger Ebert uses pen and paper along with his laptop as a voice box to communicate with those around him.  Despite his obvious physical ailments and pain, Roger Ebert remains in high spirits and graciously contributes to the filmmakers’ as they make the documentary about his life.  Therefore, it becomes very obvious to me that the message in Life Itself is that we must appreciate life despite the obstacles we face.  While some viewers may walk away from this film with a bit more knowledge about the film industry or Roger Ebert’s professional history, all will walk away slightly misty eyed as they gain a new appreciation for their own individual lives.

​

Examining the humanization of Roger Ebert

           

When examining the film through a narrative criticism lens, it becomes clear that Life Itself masterfully tells a cohesive story of the life, and death, of Roger Ebert.  The film integrates old footage of Roger, photographs, interviews from old coworkers and friends, and very frank dialogue between him and his wife Chaz which creates a very personal and heartfelt narrative.  By utilizing the multiple forms of media, the makers of the documentary allow the audience to feel like we actually know Roger Ebert.  We see pictures of him as a child, we learn of his humble beginnings, and how he accidently got his job as a film critic which ultimately leads to his fame and prestige.  Despite his seemingly happy life and job satisfaction, we learn of his suicidal thoughts and struggle with alcoholism.  We see as he slowly puts of weight throughout the years and hear the voice that we know that he will eventually lose.  We see him fight passionately with his co-anchor Gene Siskel on their show Siskel & Ebert & the Movies and hear Siskel’s widow tell of the complicated dynamics between the two men.  We see footage of Roger and Chaz’s wedding day and the hear her recall how being in an interracial relationship was somewhat of a challenge.  As the story of Roger Ebert’s life continues chronologically, there are always forward jumps into the present and the audience is repeatedly reminded of where this man will eventually be. 

 

By allowing the audience to have a full range view of Roger Ebert’s life, the filmmakers increase the empathy we feel for Roger and deepen the appreciation of life we walk away with at the end of the film.  The scene of when a former newspaper colleague speaks of the succinct and precise grasp Roger Ebert had on the English language is profound.  Roger Ebert powerfully wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times how the deaths of the four little girls at the 16th Street Baptist Church was blood on the sheriff’s hands and demonstrated that he does not need an auditory voice to communicate and touch the heart of others.  While seeing Roger in his current physical condition strikes a chord of melancholy in viewers because he was once a star of a television show and his voice reached millions, it is not hard to believe that he still has the passion to speak on things that matter to him.  His ability to remain steadfast despite the chaos that was around him in the sixties during the Civil Rights Movement or the complications that his illness currently brings upon him makes Roger Ebert commendable.  He is both just a man, as seen in the film from the countless accounts that humanize him, and a figure to aspire to emulate.  He remains passionate and willing to give himself full heartedly to every challenge that he encounters. 

​

Examining the Roger and Chaz Ebert’s love story

           

In addition to telling the story of Roger Ebert the man, the film tells a love story that is touching and hopeful.  For years Roger was solely focused on his career and seemed to live vicariously through the films he watched.  He then meets Chaz, the love of his life, and they take the vow “‘til death do us part” very seriously.  As Roger’s health declines, it seems that the bond between him and Chaz strengthens.  The scene when Roger describes his close encounter with death embodies how love can conquer all and gives hope to viewers that they one day can too have an unbreakable bond with another human being as well.  Roger describes how he was getting released from the hospital after one of his cancer treatment surgeries.  Before he and his wife left, he wanted to play a song for her.  Shortly after the song ended, but before he had the chance to leave the hospital, a blood clot in his neck burst and blood was gushing out of his body profusely.  While no one would blame him for being resentful of the doctors or the hand that life dealt him when it came to his constant inability to fully recover from his cancer, he chose to see a silver lining.  Roger simply states that if the song he chose to play for his wife was a minute or two shorter then he would have already left the hospital and probably would be dead.  His keen ability to see the positive scenarios in his life and his devotion he and his wife share with one another forces viewers to reevaluate their own lives and be, at the very least, less pessimistic and a bit more like Roger.

 

Conclusion

           

The film completes a full circle as it began with a sign that acknowledges Roger Ebert’s death and shows his decline.  Chaz describes the serenity of the floor when he finally passed and there is footage of people in attendance of the funeral laughing and celebrating his life as opposed to mourning it.  While it is easy to get distracted by some medically explicit footage or the jarring contrasts between the image of Roger before and after his battle with cancer, it is undeniable and unforgettable that he has left a positive legacy.  While some will remember factoids about his life or quotes by him during his speeches, all will recognize that he was an inspiration professionally and personally as he was able to stay true to himself and not let his illness deprive him of personality.  Roger Ebert says in the opening of the film that movies generate empathy and by the end of Life Itself viewers will definitely have compassion for him and themselves as their outlook on life changes.