Ornette: Made in America (1985)
Milestone Film & Video | Release Date: August 31, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
77
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
IndieWireEric KohnAug 30, 2012
Ornette isn't just a love letter to the liberty of jazz rhythms; it excels at expressing them. Read full review
90
Wall Street JournalJohn AndersonAug 31, 2012
Years after its initial release, Ornette: Made in America, part of Milestone's continuing "Project Shirley," still feels fresh - its moves always surprising, yet always somehow perfect. Read full review
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerAug 31, 2012
Clarke started out as a dancer studying with Martha Graham, and much of Ornette has a dancelike swing and propulsion. What it doesn't provide is a cogent look at Coleman's artistry. This is not a jazz film for people who want to sit back and get mellow. The film itself is a species of jazz. It's offbeat without missing the beat. Read full review
80
Village VoiceMelissa AndersonAug 28, 2012
A funky, nonfiction tribute to the great avant-garde saxophonist Ornette Coleman, Ornette upends the staid portrait-of-the-artist formula, and it tinkers with and discards the conventions of the bio documentary just as its pioneering musician subject exploded those of jazz. Read full review
80
Time OutKeith UhlichAug 28, 2012
Coleman's life and work are treated as a continuum, which Clarke pulls from at will. Read full review
70
The New York TimesJanet MaslinNov 27, 2023
Miss Clarke's methods tend to be as fanciful as Ornette Coleman's are rigorous and abstract, but the collaboration between film maker and subject has its own kind of harmony. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineJoseph Jon LanthierAug 28, 2012
Shirley Clarke's portraiture eschews cohesive biography and often spirals off into lyrical dissonance. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeSep 1, 2012
Very much a work of its time, the documentary offers unique perspectives for fans of both the saxophonist and the pioneering filmmaker, but is unlikely to attract a broad audience beyond those camps. Read full review
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