Negative Space

• 2001
• 0 hr 39 mins
• NR

• Watchlist

Manny Farber was one of America's most influential and intriguing film critics; between 1942 and 1977, Farber wrote about movies for a variety of publications (including The New Republic and The Nation) and championed an aesthetic that concerned itself more with a film's visual qualities and its idiosyncratic details than the traditional narrative analysis that dominated most reviews of the day. Farber was also well known for his writings on fine art, and was a champion of the use of space within the image; Farber coined the phrase "negative space," which was used as the title of a collection of his essays, as well as for a documentary by Chris Petit about Farber's work and his unique critical style. Farber appears in the film to discuss his critical perspectives, as well as showing film clips that illustrate what he feels represents good and bad visual style in a film. Farber also weighs in on contemporary film writers, current films and filmmakers he respects, and his own artwork, which is also discussed by art critic Dave Hickey.