Educational Media Reviews Online

American writer and critic Susan Sontag believed that writing is part of a “noble activity” and that the “most interesting writers have been critics of society.” As part of the post-World War II generation of American critics, Sontag welcomed her identity as a public intellectual, while all the time embracing popular culture as worthy of study and critique. Regarding Susan Sontag traces Sontag’s life by presenting multiple excerpts of her writings (as read by Patricia Clarkson); interviews with friends, relatives and lovers, including Fran Lebowitz, Annie Leibovitz, Lucinda Childs and David Rieff; archival footage of Andy Warhol, Norman Mailer and Charlie Rose; and even film clips that mention Sontag such as Bull Durham and Gremlins 2.

The film accepts Sontag’s self-definition of a writer as “someone who is interested in everything,” and, thus, concentrates on the events and context of her life rather than the writing process. It focuses on the places and people who were important to her, from the Happenings of the 1960s; to conflicts in Palestine, Vietnam and Sarajevo; to her favorite cities, Paris and New York.

Regarding Susan Sontag’s talking head interviews flush out the personal side of Sontag, sometimes at the expense of her literary and intellectual contributions. Nevertheless, the cinematography by Sophie Constantinou and motion graphics by Dave Tecson elevate this film from being a traditional bio-documentary to one worth viewing for its aesthetics.

Awards

• Grand Jury Award, Milan International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, 2015
• Special Jury Mention, Tribeca Film Festival, 2014