Peter Brunette

My first meeting with the critic, scholar, and teacher was not what you'd call a conventionally auspicious one. It was some time over half a decade ago, at the Toronto Film Festival, on what the Canadians call a line-up, and a rather crowded one at that. My recollection of it is rather hazy, which is probably all to the good. For what it's worth, let's just say the exchanges we shared combined the Marshall McLuhan scene from Annie Hall with any number of "what the fuck are you looking at?" encounters of New York legend.

Eventually the dust settled, and apologies and proper introductions were proffered. In a weird way, we were both kind of glad that things had gotten off on the "wrong" foot for us, as it enabled us to discover straight away that we shared a kinship that extended into possibly less gentle realms; that is, each of us learned immediately that the other was an individual of strong opinions, large appetites, and potentially tempestuous temperament. 

We never became intimates, but we were steadfast film festival pals; when our paths crossed again in various locales we'd invariable schedule a big meal and there'd always be great food, fantastic company, a lot of laughs, a good deal of loud opinion-expressing, and rollicking good fellowship. Peter was also a man of exceptional graciousness, both personal and professional; he exerted effort above and beyond the call of any duty to get me a position in a prestigious film critic's society, which only ended up not happening because of my own lack of followup. I had not seen him for a while, since I've been traveling the festival circuit a good deal less in the past couple of years. I'm shocked and deeply saddened to learn of his death of a heart attack at the Taormina Film Festival in Italy. 

Sometimes I really don't understand the venerated phrase "the long goodbye." A lot of Peter's friends had no chance to say any kind of goodbye, directly to him, at all. I am, of course, not going to get a chance to sit down to a dinner with him and wish him well on his journey after expressing my irritation that I won't be able to take pleasure in his always engaging, erudite, and warm conversation ever again. This is the kind of sudden, unfair passing that can make even an atheist angry with God, and at the same time drive him or her to prayer; the prayer being, of course, that Peter's spirit, so vital and so essential when he was among us, be at peace now. So long, brother. 

Comments

[The Siren]

My condolences, Glenn.

[michaelgsmith]

This is sad news. I really enjoyed his book on Wong Kar-Wai and would highly recommend it to any WKW fans out there.

[D.P.]

Horrible news. Brunette was one of the best writing today. His Wong Kar-Wai book is essential.

Rest In Peace sir. Condolences to his friends and family.

[Kent Jones]

It was only a few weeks ago when I ran into Peter, first in New York and then in Cannes. Shocking news. He was, as always, cordial, attentive, and, as you say, very good company. A real loss.

[msic]

I never got to meet Mr. Brunette. But his work has been an inspiration to me for years, since he provided an unequalled model for how to exist as both an academic and a critic, how to allow both existences to mutually inform one another, how to keep those languages in their proper place, but never, ever cordon them off artificially. Mr. Brunette was a cinephile and a deconstructionist, and the fact that I never once saw any hint of conflict in those identities says volumes about the kind of thinker and viewer he was.

My condolences to his family and friends.

[Mark Slutsky]

My condolences too. Glenn, that last paragraph was very moving.

[Carrie]

A scholar, a gentleman and dispenser of perfectly-prepared dish. Another on the list of never-can-say-goodbye.

[Mark Rabinowitz]

That was a very nice piece and it would fit in well with the comments that and other friends of Peter's have been leaving on the indieWIRE piece. He was indeed a true gentleman, scholar and prince.