Andrew Sarris, whose more than six decades of writing about film provided the inspiration for MoMA’s ongoing Auteurist History series, died on June 20 at the age of 83. Sarris was the father of the “auteur theory”in America, and he, perhaps more than anyone, was able to make sense of the history of film. A substantial part of his influence came from his ability to articulate an appreciation of American cinema, which helped to broaden the perspectives of institutions like The Museum of Modern Art. Tonight’s tribute to Sarris focuses on an adoptive American, Max Ophuls, whom Sarris considered the greatest of all film artists.
Organized by Charles Silver, Curator, Department of Film.