I usually don’t review documentaries. I’m not sure why, but they usually don’t inspire me to want to share my thoughts on them. ‘Life Itself” moved me so much that I felt compelled to talk about it. Roger Ebert was arguably (or really, unarguably) the preeminent American film critic. His reviews were full, rich, and academic, yet at the same time accessible to the masses. Roger and his fellow film critic Gene Siskel held court weekly in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s on their their syndicated show. In Emperor like fashion, their ‘thumbs up, thumbs down’ became almost more coveted than the Oscar and a movie’s fortunes could rise or fall based on their reviews. ‘Life Itself’ showcases the life of this unremarkably remarkable man. It’s a cliché ‘wart’s and all’ style of documentary that gives us an insight into a man whose love of movies was exceeded only by the woman and family he found later in life and the city of Chicago of which he was indelibly a part.
Most people know that Roger Ebert at the end of his life had a long battle with cancer that severely disfigured him to the point of needing a computer to communicate. We were all startled by his transformation as he progressively began to lose his battle. What was remarkable was his determination not to curl up and hide, rather to continue to live life the best he was able and to maintain not only his high spirits, but the spirits of the people he loved as well. The camera is unflinching (at Roger’s request), no matter how undignified, yet even though we wince we are uplifted by the power of his spirit.
This is not a depressing cancer movie. This is a deep exploration of Roger’s life and the events and paths that lead him to become the critic to which even the likes of Martin Scorcese bowed. A man of contradictions, who could win Pulitzer prizes and write reviews that even academics were jealous of, yet write a screenplay for Roger Coreman called ‘Beyond the Valley of the Dolls’. To call this a B-movie would be over complimentary, but to hear Roger defend it was a highlight of the film.
As an adopted Chicagoan, I loved the parts that focused on his love for the city. Exploring places I frequently haunt and showing areas I never knew existed. In the height of his fame and power, he was offered positions and jobs that paid much more and offered greater prestige, but he turned them all down as he never wanted to leave this great city. Chicago was part of who he was. He hit his meteoric highs in this city as well as hitting rock bottom. It was part of who he was.
The most moving part of the film was exploring the two great loves in his life: Gene Siskel and his wife, Chaz Ebert. Regarding Gene; they became famous for their on-air bickering and acerbic interactions while reviewing movies. We see behind the scene footage that shows that the constant irritation and bickering was genuine. It was a true Love/Hate relationship as they did not get along off camera either, but it becomes plain to see that each respected each other’s intellect immeasurably. One of the more moving scenes was the fact that Gene hid his own cancer from Roger until it was too late. Not only was Roger devastated with the passing of Gene, but he was even more devastated that Gene chose to keep something so personal hidden from Roger. It wasn’t until Gene’s death that Roger realized how much he loved Gene and how much a part of his life he was.
The great love of Roger’s life, he met at age 50. Chaz Ebert is a strong, independent (self-proclaimed militant in her younger days) African-american woman who fell in love with probably the whitest of white men on the planet. Despite Roger’s nerdy appearance, he was a playboy most of his life, but when he met Chaz, she fundamentally him for the better. Not only Chaz, but also her immediate family accepted Roger as one of their own. He described it as receiving love unconditionally and conversely giving them love unconditionally. Chaz wells up as she remembers Roger telling her that he waited 50 years to find the woman he loved. Chaz kept largely out of the spotlight during Roger’s life, but she was definitely the emotional core and strength of the two. She saw Roger at his worst, yet she never wavered from his side. In fact, she held on to Roger’s life past the point Roger was ready to go. It would take a hard heart not to be moved when Chaz recounts how Roger asked her to let him go because he was ready to move on.
Overall, I viewed this movie as a love story rather than a cancer movie. Not just a story of his love affair with Chaz, but his love of ‘Life Itself’. His passion for those around him, the city he loved, and of course movies. I love movies too, but I don’t come close to the passion that Roger had for the art form. He loved every word of dialogue and every picture frame put forth. Oddly enough, I rarely agreed with Roger’s opinions (except that he loved super hero movies too), but he was always the first review I read when I wanted to find out about a film. Even though this documentary can be hard to watch, I found it to be incredibly uplifting and life affirming. I highly recommend this film even if you aren’t a film fanatic. A great insight into an unremarkably remarkable man.
I give this film **** stars
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