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SEPT 2020: David Lean by Kevin Brownlow
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Favourite David Lean films :A Passage to India
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Dr. Zhivago
Lawrence of Arabia
Each one is an epic and memorable in its own right.
Have all of these on dvd,seen them multiple times.Love those long,lingering shots and attention to detail.
Also,Ryan's Daughter,didn't do well commercially but still a good one.
W wrote: "Favourite David Lean films :A Passage to India
The Bridge on the River Kwai
Dr. Zhivago
Lawrence of Arabia
Each one is an epic and memorable in its own right.
Have all of these on dvd,seen them m..."
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962) For the sheer spectacle of all that desert scenery; masterful filmmaking highlighted by Freddie Young's awesome photography.
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957) Intelligent POW story, highlighted by the battle of wills between captor and captive, played to perfection by Alec Guinness and Sessue Hayakawa.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1946) Classic adaptation of Dickens and Lean's best directorial effort w/o all the spectacle; captures the period faultlessly with a splendid cast and one of the greatest opening sequences of all time.
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965) The ultimate combination of simply gorgeous cinematography (Freddie Young), unforgettable music score (Maurice Jarre) and the beauty of Christie and Sharif making it one of the most enchanting films to both look at and listen to.
A PASSAGE TO INDIA (1984) Not a great film but one that deserves plenty of plaudits; engrossing story, fine acting and Indian locations lift it above the standard of most "big" films. Quality old-fashioned filmmaking.
I thought A Passage to India was a great film.It interests me most among his films because it's closer to home and highlights the tensions between the British and the locals during the dying days of the British Raj.
Another film of his which I've seen is,In Which We Serve,a WW II b/w navy film.
Found another one on youtube,This Happy Breed,1944.
I have always preferred his earlier, non-epic films, especially fond of BRIEF ENCOUNTER and HOBSON'S CHOICE.
The only one I saw in an actual theater was DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, not when it was new, but when it was re-issued in (I think) 1974. Saw it with my grandfather and we liked it quite a bit.
I would be very interested to read about his actors and how they combined with Lean. For example, ZHIVAGO had such a varied cast, many of whom are still alive, or were when Brownlow wrote the book.
In any case, Brownlow is such a fine writer that the whole book will be a worthwhile read. My copy is on the way!
The only one I saw in an actual theater was DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, not when it was new, but when it was re-issued in (I think) 1974. Saw it with my grandfather and we liked it quite a bit.
I would be very interested to read about his actors and how they combined with Lean. For example, ZHIVAGO had such a varied cast, many of whom are still alive, or were when Brownlow wrote the book.
In any case, Brownlow is such a fine writer that the whole book will be a worthwhile read. My copy is on the way!
W wrote: "I thought A Passage to India was a great film.It interests me most among his films because it's closer to home and highlights the tensions between the British and the locals during the dying days o..."Can understand your appreciation of "Passage" because it is so close to home.
I only watched it a few months ago and I rate it highly. That monkey scene with Judy Davis on her bicycle is one of those scenes you never forget.
Won NY Film Critics awards for Best Pic, Director & Actress (Peggy Ashcroft) Also won National Board of Review Best Pic, Director, Actor (Victor Banerjee) & Actress (Ashcroft)
Ashcroft also won Oscar, LA Film Critics & Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.
Judy Davis was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar as was Picture & Director. Maurice Jarre won his third Oscar for a Lean film for his music score.
Lean also nominated for Directors Guild & Golden Globe although the film was not nominated. Lean's screenplay received nominations from Writers Guild, Golden Globes and Academy Awards.
I tend to agree with the review in Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide, a snippet of which I quote:
"...... Not a great movie, but so rich in flavor, nuance, and the sheer expressiveness of FILM that it offers great satisfaction, despite its shortcomings (and extreme length) ......"
Many thought that the love given to the film by New York Critics was an apology to Lean for the harsh (and unfair) treatment that they gave him when they trashed his 1970 film "Ryan's Daughter." The latter a disappointing film: big film with small story and uneven acting but on reappraisal not such a bad film with plenty to like. Lean took the criticism to heart and didn't complete another film until "Passage." Spent some of the in-between years trying to get his "Bounty" film made without success.
To quote Leonard Maltin again: "Distinguished British filmmaker of impeccable taste, not nearly as prolific as his contemporaries but a much better craftsman than most. He was noted for the care he lavished upon his films - particularly in evoking time and place and in extracting perfect performances from his casts."
What did you think of the acting in "Passage"?
Thought Aussie actress Davis was excellent and had wonderful presence but perhaps a little contemporary for the times. Haven't read Forster so I don't know how the character was supposed to be played.
Banerjee very likable in very sympathetic role.
Main question: what about Alec Guinness? Cute performance but just a little too obvious; sort of a-ha, look at Guinness under all that make-up and costuming! Surely there was a qualified Indian actor who could have played the role and given it a bit more legitimacy. Your thoughts?
As for the acting,Judy Davis was outstanding.Alec Guinness was a bit wasted in that role,and he played an Indian ! Yes,that role should have been played by an Indian.Bannerjee,I didn't like his performance.Or maybe he was trying too hard to act like a member of a subject race.And the actor who played Fielding,was good too.I found Forster's book rather boring,couldn't finish it and was glad that Lean gave it such an excellent treatment.
I don't have the book selected by Samantha but I searched for a book on David Lean and found Beyond the Epic,the Life and Films of David Lean by Gene D.Phillips.Looks pretty exhaustive.
W wrote: "As for the acting,Judy Davis was outstanding.Alec Guinness was a bit wasted in that role,and he played an Indian ! Yes,that role should have been played by an Indian.Bannerjee,I didn't like his per..."Very good English actor James Fox played Fielding. Best remembered as Dirk Bogarde's "victim" in "The Servant" (63) and as a vicious thug in "Performance" (70) and for fluffy roles in "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines" (65) and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (67). Left acting in the 70s to be involved in a religious group; returned to play character parts from 80s onwards.
Younger brother of Edward (The Day of the Jackal) Fox.
Lean's wife (#5) Sandy Hotz also appears in "Passage" - not to be confused with Sandra who became wife #6 and later his widow.
The Brownlow book is massive - 800 pages plus. I bought it on-line a few years ago but quite expensive. Check out your university library - you just never know!
Gene Phillips is an excellent writer and knows his stuff, so expect an excellent, thorough study of Lean. My favorite Lean book is a large Abrams edition by Stephen M. Silverman, which has the added bonus of being chock full of fabulous photos.
Mod
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...
I am not terribly familiar with Lean's films. I was fortunate to catch Lawrence of Arabia when it ran last year with Fathom Events on the big screen. It was an immersive experience. Definitely not something I would be inherently drawn to, but I liked it a lot. Movies which introduce you to places and things outside of your comfort zone in an appealing and in-depth way are wonderful.
I've tried to watch Doctor Zhivago several times at home and I can't get into it and always turn it off about an hour in. Maybe the movie is a good adaptation of a beloved novel, so people who are familiar with that don't need a lot of exposition, but I always feel disconnected from the characters and uninterested in putting in the work it takes to develop an interest in them.
My favorite Lean (so far), and according to the Criterion notes it was also Lean's favorite, is Summertime. It is a beautiful, immersive love letter to Venice. Katharine Hepburn is alternately independent and powerful and sweet and vulnerable, a wonderful performance that shows off just what a gem of an actress she was. I've seen Rossano Brazzi in several other things before but I've never seen him to be as sexy as he is here. The scenery is wonderful and makes me ache to visit Italy.
Haven't seen "Summertime"; remember seeing bits and pieces over the years but it's not a film that bobs up on TV over here. I know it was Lean's favorite and any film set in Venice has got to be a joy to look at, apart from everything else. The first of three Best Director Awards from NY Film Critics - probably would have four but for the New York newspaper strike in 1962 which eliminated the awards that year - the year of "Lawrence of Arabia." Always wonder why the group didn't get together later and give their decisions then.
"Zhivago" not an easy film to follow. Always found Russian novels very complex. I read the Pasternak novel ages ago and found it a difficult book to get involved in.
And the film is far from perfect but remember seeing it first on the big screen - a major event as the "big" films of the day were treated that way. Julie Christie and Omar Sharif magnetic in the roles. And as previously mentioned, the photography and music just magical. Think everyone was humming "Lara's Theme" for the next year - it was a massive hit!
Described by Leonard Maltin as "sumptuous, sprawling epic ....charismatic Sharif .... spans several decades .... with stirring crowd scenes, gorgeous romantic vistas set to Maurice Jarre's sweeping music .... overlong but with top production values and superb acting in every role." Can't disagree with any of that!
Great to watch the roadshow version on your large home screen with full overture and intermission music, etc. to relive the cinema experience because this was one of the last legitimate blockbusters made with all the trimmings.
Don't forget to rug up for the winter scenes and have plenty of chocolates and vodka on hand and take the intermission break - as it is a very long film!
Yes,Dr. Zhivago is very lengthy.I have it on a two dvd set.Convoluted story,but a visual delight with many memorable images.And Spain doubles up for Russia,pretty well.
W wrote: "Yes,Dr. Zhivago is very lengthy.I have it on a two dvd set.Convoluted story,but a visual delight with many memorable images.And Spain doubles up for Russia,pretty well."Spain made a splendid substitute for Russia.
Two weeks of location shooting done in northern Finland. The epic train sequence was filmed there, using the same winter railway tracks that had been laid during the 1940 Russian invasion of Finland.
Rest of film made in Spain except for some minor second-unit work in Canada.
In their four months of scouting locations, Lean and Production Designer John Box travelled 10,000 miles by car. They would have chosen Finland but realized how difficult it would be to find the necessary extras as the country had no unemployment.
Another stop was Yugoslavia.
John Box: "After a few days, we were thrown out of our hotel to make way for a Third World conference.
" ...... prostitutes being brought in for these conferees. With all that free lust available, none of them would go home. David was furious."
Apparently Lean was so disgusted, he declared he would give a free vacation to anyone who could shoot a movie in a Communist country.
W wrote: "Haha."You gotta give Lean and Box credit for being so dedicated. Four months on the road scouting locations - that must have been quite a challenge.
Few of us can imagine all the grit and highs and lows involved in pre-production work - all the frustration of getting things right even before a single moment of the project is ever filmed.
No doubt, major reason why I watch movies instead of making them!
What I found funny was your comment about all that free lust being available and nobody going home.
W wrote: "What I found funny was your comment about all that free lust being available and nobody going home."Obviously one of the perks of being a Party member!
Suppose a bit like an equivalent to all those business conventions in the U.S. where salesmen come from all over the country to let their hair down and have a good time. Probably a thing of the past and certainly gone now with Covid-19 virus.
Been to a few union conferences, etc. in my time but nothing like that ever happened but I've heard the occasional rumor ....
Samantha wrote: "I got a new copy in hardback on ebay for about $5 at the beginning of the year. I recommend checking that or www.abebooks.com.https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from......"I'm with you on David Lean's work, but his earlier black and white films are recommended.
Mod
There are several Lean films coming up on TCM: In Which We Serve (1942), Blithe Spirit (1945), Brief Encounter (1945) and Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Do any of these sound appealing for a group watch and discussion?
Am slowly reading David Lean because I have several books to finish for other groups. I mainly wanted to read it because 'Lawrence of Arabia' is my favorite movie. Have seen several other Lean movies as well.
Watched The Bridge on the River Kwai again,terrific film.
It certainly is, and the acting superb, even with a change in the ending from the book.
It's interesting that, according to the book, Lean's mother did not believe he would make anything of himself because of a report from his school.
Mod
Parents can be a great asset, but they can also make a kid's life miserable.
Mod
A very substantial book--long, detailed and heavy. Lean's film career
spanned more than six decades and Brownlow covers it all from silent films of the 1920s through a PASSAGE TO INDIA in 1984. There is overwhelming detail on the films and also on Lean's personal life which wasn't always exemplary.
spanned more than six decades and Brownlow covers it all from silent films of the 1920s through a PASSAGE TO INDIA in 1984. There is overwhelming detail on the films and also on Lean's personal life which wasn't always exemplary.
Mod
Which David Lean films are your favorite?
Have you seen any of his movies screened in a theater? How did that impact your experience?
What do you hope to learn from this book?
Which of his films would you be interested in watching and discussing together?