Cinema of Outsiders: The Rise of American Independent Film

By Emanuel Levy
New York and London: New York University Press, 1999

Given American independent cinema’s rise to prominence over the past several decades, it is very fortunate to read a comprehensive account of the catalysts behind that rise, as well as an assessment of indie cinema’s effect on American film culture and its relationship to the mainstream Hollywood industry. Emanuel Levy’s Cinema of Outsiders can serve as a handy viewing guide for whoever aims to write such an account. Consisting primarily of critical reviews of independent films, Cinema of Outsiders engagingly assesses the extensive range of work in American independent cinema since the late 1970s. Unfortunately, this text covers a lot of critical ground without digging very deeply into it, leaving crucial questions unexplored, but giving a sturdy stepping stone for film fanatics looking to answer those crucial questions on their own.

The introduction, conclusion and first two chapters are the most satisfying sections of the book. The introduction opens in a logical place by addressing how difficult it is to establish a clear definition for contemporary independent cinema. Here Levy identifies the two main factors he feels are essential to such a definition: financing and artistic vision. In Levy’s view, as the book title indicates, independent cinema is founded upon the films of “outsiders,” nonconforming writers and directors not willing to compromise their personal visions in exchange for mainstream studio financing.

The first chapter extends Levy’s attempts at definition by exploring ten forces that have affected the development of independent cinema. This chapter is therefore a useful sketch of methods within both the indie scene and the world of Hollywood have shaped independent cinema. Throughout these opening sections and in the conclusion, Levy repeatedly considers the difficulties in determining the industrial and aesthetic dividing lines between mainstream Hollywood and the independent film world. Yet all Levy does here is indeed “observe” these issues, rarely analyzing them in any detail, and largely not returning to them until the conclusion.

Primarily the book consists of critical assessments of individual films and filmmakers, and Levy provides little sense of how each filmmaker relates to the issues raised in the opening sections of the book. Such editorial comments provide the main attraction of these chapters, as Levy copiously exercises the skills that served him as a film critic for Variety Magazine.

In sum, readers looking for a sharply written abridgment of independent film reviews will be well served by Cinema of Outsiders. But for those looking for more, the book too frequently raises intriguing issues that it then neglects. For instance, Levy opens the “Female/Feminist Sensibility” chapter with the following questions: “Is there a distinctly female sensibility in indie narratives written and directed by women? Are new meanings established? Do women-directed indies address their audiences in different ways?” (348-349). Unfortunately, he never approaches solid answers to these questions in the chapter’s subsequent film reviews. As such, while the reader gains a good sense of the artistic merits and drawbacks of many independent films through reading the book, Levy never satisfactorily makes clear what all of these films add up to, however, he does leave the questions open to the astute film savvy reader for answering.