How does the breadth of cinema history appear when filtered through the subjective, analytical lens of a singular, influential critic? Pauline Kael, a prominent film critic for The New Yorker from 1968 to 1991, compiles a vast archive of her reviews to provide a comprehensive evaluation of film history. Her framework relies on the immediate, visceral reaction to the medium, prioritizing the critic's personal engagement with the screen over purely academic or historical detachment.

Critics and film scholars frequently cite this volume as a definitive record of Kael's influential voice and her impact on modern film criticism. Readers often note that while the entries are concise, they provide a dense, high-energy perspective that remains a foundational reference for understanding the evolution of 20th-century film discourse.