Without singling you out at all, I think that very last sentiment--the conflation of critical admiration with "reputation"--comes up a lot in these discussions and does not really represent the best version of the argument.
When I say critical admiration, I mean each person's own understanding of the art form, not a consensus of what other people are saying about it. I don't really "like" Schindler's List, but it is a technical and artistic achievement. I give it high marks because I can recognize those achievements as distinct from my own immediate reaction to it. That's the distinction I'm talking about, and not "well it won Best Picture so it gets an extra star from me" or what have you.
I'm usually the guy on the "criticism as distinct from personal affinity" side of the argument and I'm always a little surprised by how often people seem to think I'm saying we should give higher ratings to things just because other people like them, which is not the case at all. I'm saying our own taste and appreciation for art is made up of more than just our own immediate and/or idiosyncratic reaction to something. Our ability to step outside those reactions, outside of ourselves, is what makes big-c Criticism possible, and meaningful, I think.
When I say critical admiration, I mean each person's own understanding of the art form, not a consensus of what other people are saying about it. I don't really "like" Schindler's List, but it is a technical and artistic achievement. I give it high marks because I can recognize those achievements as distinct from my own immediate reaction to it. That's the distinction I'm talking about, and not "well it won Best Picture so it gets an extra star from me" or what have you.
I'm usually the guy on the "criticism as distinct from personal affinity" side of the argument and I'm always a little surprised by how often people seem to think I'm saying we should give higher ratings to things just because other people like them, which is not the case at all. I'm saying our own taste and appreciation for art is made up of more than just our own immediate and/or idiosyncratic reaction to something. Our ability to step outside those reactions, outside of ourselves, is what makes big-c Criticism possible, and meaningful, I think.
If I give a film high marks due to its reputation while not taking the issues I had with the film into account, that wouldn't be fair considering the other influential classic films I give the same rating to that I like a lot more and find less/no issues with. I prefer to consider both influence and the degree to which I like the film into my ratings. Like, if it's one of the most influential films ever, it's unlikely I'll give it a negative rating, but it also won't get a 10/10 from me if I personally dislike it.