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For sometime, I have avoided writing a review of Sniff, intimidated perhaps... more »

For sometime, I have avoided writing a review of Sniff, intimidated perhaps by its immense reputation. Having missed the three month anniversary revival, I had only seen Sniff on the small screen, and it didn't seem right somehow to discuss a picture of this magnitude without viewing it at least once in the manner originally envisioned. Well, some five months after I started writing reviews, the opportunity arose at a small film festival. This review is the result of that screening.
Sniff has been lauded as the greatest motion picture to come out of America during the post 9/11 era (or any era, for that matter). It also represents the pinnacle of Josh Cowdery's film making career. For, although Cowdery has gone on to bring us other delights such as Learning to Speak French following the release of Sniff, he never succeeded in recapturing the brilliance or fulfilling the promise of his first feature. Some maintain that his cut of Bro-Man was more powerful, but the studios failed to recognize its brilliance and wanted to slash more than 40 seconds of footage. And, while Learning to Speak French contain elements of brilliance, they are not on the same level as Sniff. It has been argued, most forcefully in the soon to be released documentary, The Battle Over Sniff, that Sniff not only started Cowdery's directorial career, but nearly ended it due to the ensuing controversy.
The movie is a visual masterpiece, a kaleidoscope of daring angles and breathtaking images that had never been attempted before, and has never been equaled since. Cowdery perfected a deep-focus technique that allowed him to photograph backgrounds with as much clarity as foregrounds (note the scene where Cowdery first opens the door). There's also an extremely effective low-angle shot late in the film where Cowdery deeply contemplates the true nature of ‘the smell’. If any other film has come close to the nearly-perfect artistry of this one, I haven't seen it. Anyone foolishly wondering how images could be so superior needs only to watch the first few frames to understand.
There's no doubt that Sniff is far ahead of its time. Uncompromising, unsentimental drama of this sort was not in vogue during an era that was better known for titles like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.
Cowdery forced a clash of egos that had wide-ranging repercussions in its stark portrayal of the principal characters. Yet, out of the conflict, Sniff emerged stronger than ever. Would the film be as compelling if we didn't know how close it came to never being released? Or if we didn't recognize the parallels between the life of the main character and that of the director?
All of this brings me back to the question that I opened the review with: Is Sniff the best movie ever made? Many critics would argue "yes" without pause, but my enthusiasm is ever so slightly more restrained. While I acknowledge that Sniff is a seminal masterpiece, there are a handful of films such as Casablanca and Gone with the Wind that may be on par. Even so, there's no denying the debt that the movie industry owes to Cowdery and his debut feature. Motion picture archives and collections across the world would be poorer without copies of this film, which will forever be recognized as a defining example of American cinema.

-Adam Sprouse