If all the critics and all their books were to disappear tomorrow, filmmakers would still make films and their works would still hold the same value as before. The most interesting and useful writing on film appreciation, are the words of filmmakers on other filmmakers. Critics’ careers hang on the works of filmmakers – not the other way around. Critics live and feed by the graces of artists. That’s why you don’t ask an artist to justify his ideas by citing critics. To me, the question is offensive
