Abstract:

The author argues that film studies in the United States have increasingly become ghettonized, deviating from the rich legacies of Eisenstein and Bazin. In contrast to high theoryoriented film studies, popularly consumed film reviews and comments, first by professional critics and later joined by amateur critics, are an integral part of the American film industry. The latter is also an integral part of what Henry Jenkins calls the "participatory culture". Facing such a cultural shift, if intellectuals or academics intend to maintain or regain their social relevance, they must transform themselves from an observer and evaluator of popular culture to a direct participant.

Key words: film criticism, participatory culture

film studies