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IMDbPro

The 50 Year Argument

  • 20142014
  • 1h 37m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
686
YOUR RATING
The 50 Year Argument (2014)
A documentary on the history and influence of the New York Review of Books.
Play trailer0:46
1 Video
5 Photos
  • Documentary
A documentary on the history and influence of the New York Review of Books.A documentary on the history and influence of the New York Review of Books.A documentary on the history and influence of the New York Review of Books.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
686
YOUR RATING
  • Directors
    • Martin Scorsese
    • David Tedeschi
  • Stars
    • Barbara Epstein(archive footage)
    • W.H. Auden(archive footage)
    • Isaiah Berlin(archive footage)
Top credits
  • Directors
    • Martin Scorsese
    • David Tedeschi
  • Stars
    • Barbara Epstein(archive footage)
    • W.H. Auden(archive footage)
    • Isaiah Berlin(archive footage)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 33Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 0:46
    Official Trailer

    Photos

    Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi at an event for The 50 Year Argument (2014)
    Martin Scorsese, Margaret Bodde, and David Tedeschi at an event for The 50 Year Argument (2014)
    Martin Scorsese at an event for The 50 Year Argument (2014)
    The 50 Year Argument (2014)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Barbara Epstein
    • Self - Founding Co-editor
    • (archive footage)
    W.H. Auden
    • Self - Contributor
    • (archive footage)
    Isaiah Berlin
    Isaiah Berlin
    • Self - Contributor
    • (archive footage)
    Stephen Jay Gould
    Stephen Jay Gould
    • Self - Contributor
    • (archive footage)
    Elizabeth Hardwick
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Václav Havel
    Václav Havel
    • Self - Contributor
    • (archive footage)
    Robert Lowell
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Mary McCarthy
    • Self - Contributor
    • (archive footage)
    Andrei Sakharov
    Andrei Sakharov
    • Self - Contributor
    • (archive footage)
    Gore Vidal
    Gore Vidal
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Michael Stuhlbarg
    Michael Stuhlbarg
    • Narration
    • (voice)
    Patricia Clarkson
    Patricia Clarkson
    • Mary McCarthy
    • (voice)
    Richard Easton
    Richard Easton
    • Gore Vidal
    • (voice)
    Timothy Garton Ash
    • Self - Contributor
    James Baldwin
    James Baldwin
    • Self - Contributor
    • (archive footage)
    Mary Beard
    Mary Beard
    • Self - Contributor
    Ian Buruma
    • Self - Contributor
    Michael Chabon
    Michael Chabon
    • Self - Contributor
    • Directors
      • Martin Scorsese
      • David Tedeschi
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Edited into Arena: The 50 Year Argument - The New York Review of Books (2014)
    • Soundtracks
      Take Five
      Written by Paul Desmond

      Performed by Dave Brubeck, Bill Smith, Chris Brubeck and Randy Jones

      By arrangement with Desmond Music Company and Derry Music Company

    User reviews3

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    A necessary magazine, an acceptable film
    The 50 Year Argument, the new documentary codirected by Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi, opens with a tender and hard-hitting monologue about the subjectivity of journalistic stories due to the impossibility of the human mind being able to objectively record and store memories from our lives. Because of this mental improbability, we rely on stories we tell ourselves or stories we read in newspapers or online to receive our information, and we use that as the makeup for our opinions and our ideas about the world. This monologue was taken from an article written by Oliver Sacks from "The New York Review of Books" in 2013 and it sets the right tone for the documentary, which serves as a ninety-minute history of the publication.

    "The New York Review of Books" has been a cornerstone for literary criticism and opinion on social and political ideas since 1963. We learn how, from the get-go, the magazine was never interested in denoting a bias or acting as a politically involved piece of literature in a sea where numerous other publications fulfill that same need. Instead, the magazine decided to be a haven for well-written, intelligently-researched and organized publication catering to those who love literature, classic and contemporary, and those who enjoy reading well-articulated, eloquent editorials on social and political ideas. The magazine, we see, is almost like a coffeeshop on the pages of a book, minus the aroma of coffee and the environmental perks of a social resting place; it's a collection of editorials by readers for readers and its essays have gone on to be highly-regarded pieces of criticism.

    The 50 Year Argument shows the magazine's emergence during the bitter writers strike and Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's to become a beloved source for thought-provoking ideas to flourish. For starters, at only ninety-one minutes, there's an evident amount of rushing present to try and hit all the main points of the magazine's history, making the film feel like a greatest hits compilation of sorts. This means that no singular news story can be developed in its entirety, which allows for more topics to be mentioned and analyzed, but not enough to truly make one seriously contemplate any specific issues.

    In addition, The 50 Year Argument occasionally becomes redundant, as it is basically a montage of talking heads discussing the magazine's significance, rather than developing on specific issues or how exactly the magazine is put together. Scorsese and Tedeschi desperately try to make sure every writer and editor is included in the film that it isn't until the film is over that you realize you really can't identify anyone else in the film except for Robert Lane, the magazine's chief editor.

    The 50 Year Argument will no doubt be embraced and thoroughly enjoyed by loyal readers of "The New York Review of Books," and the magazine really deserves a film to analyze and state its significance and its role in many different news stories since the early 1960's. Yet, despite the generous runtime and the admirable attempt of inclusion, I can't help but feel this was an exercise much too lengthy for its own good.

    NOTE: The 50 Year Argument will air throughout the month of October 2014 on HBO.

    Directed by: Martin Scorsese and David Tedeschi.
    helpful•5
    2
    • StevePulaski
    • Oct 9, 2014

    FAQ1

    • The Retired Intellectual

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 29, 2015 (Denmark)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • United Kingdom
      • Japan
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • NYRb
    • Filming locations
      • Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Magna Entertainment
      • BBC Arena
      • HBO Documentary Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross worldwide
      • $361
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 37 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 16:9 HD

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