Customer Reviews

Breaking In: How 20 Film Directors Got Their Start

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Nicholas Jarecki explains in his Introduction that as a film school graduate he was stymied by the seeming impossibility of actually ever directing films. He didn't want, he says, to "start at the bottom," and he wondered how working directors he admired had, in fact, gotten their starts. He had loads of questions - and decided to ask them - for himself and on behalf of the many people who have wondered the same things. This book is the result of Jarecki's good idea.

Jarecki's questions tend to focus on early influences, the educational and life experiences of the directors, and afford elegant ways into the personalities and attitudes of his subjects. The material is fresh and personal, and makes for great reading. Kimberly Peirce, who directed "Boys Don't Cry," tells a heartrending story of how she came to want to tell the Brandon Teena story. Barry Sonnenfeld compares directing to being a father, since in his view much of directing is "about consistency and love and hugging." Amy Heckerling generously gives credit to people who helped her along the way - including the friend who taught her to drive (no small thing) once she had moved from NY to LA. Part of what makes this book such satisfying reading is that Jarecki has somehow managed to collect interesting, lively, and quirky details from each and every director he interviewed.

Jarecki is smart and humane, and he doesn't show off. He's done something special here. In these interviews he listens actively and intelligently, with restraint and subtlety. One of the best things about these interviews is that they are quite specifically about work and love (and sometimes, luck) - not stardom. These are interesting autobiographies that afford keen insight into the motives, the practice, and process of directing. As it turns out, passion and good writing are two keys to good directing - and nearly all of these directors credit a good script (sometimes their own) first and foremost.

In addition there is brief biographical material, a photo of each director, filmographies, and a good index. A first-rate book.

There are very few film books out there that future filmmakers (I'm one of them) must read. This book has clawed and elbowed its way onto the list to join Syd Field's Screenplay, Scorsese on Scorsese, Jack Mathews' The Battle of Brazil.
Jarecki interviews directors of all shapes and sizes (only complaint: not enough minority filmmakers--would have been nice to hear Kasi Lemmons or Melvin van Peebles talk about the additional challenges they faced). His questions are basic, it's true, but they also draw the directors out into detailed, fascinating discussions of how they got their films made (tenacity, perseverance, and drive.) The two most important common threads: sheer force of will, and the ability to write your own screenplays.

Reading about all the obstacles Kimberly Pierce and Vincenzo Natali (director of Cube), among others, faced may be disheartened, and Brett Ratner sounds like a schmuck, but this is still a wonderful, must-read book.

BREAKING IN by Nicholas Jarecki is a must-read for aspiring filmmakers, screenwriters and film students. The author has chosen a diverse and interesting group of filmmakers as interview subjects. The interviews give the reader a unique insight into the motivations and personalities of these creative and incredibly motivated individuals. The book illustrates their passion for film and how they were able (many with great financial and personal difficulty) to turn their love of the medium and their drive and ability into a meaningful and lucrative profession.

With his adept interviewing style (the majority of the interviews were conducted in person) the author allows the directors to tell their own life "stories" of how they grew up and became interested in film. The responses to the questions Jarecki asks are very personal and nostalgic and the reader can only assume that, for many of the subjects, the interviews bring them back to their beginnings when they were struggling and just trying to find a way to get into the business of making a feature film. The interviewer keeps the focus of the interviews on the directors' first films and with relative ease seems to elicit candid and thought-provoking insights into their early inspirations and motivations.

This book reveals that the twenty directors were all somehow "moved" and compelled to make films and to share their experiences and vision of life with its triumphs and its tragedies; they have each, in their own unique way, used film as the outlet of their creativity.

The interviews not only offer insights into the process of filmmaking from a personal perspective but also serve as a metaphor for life. The fact that one can be "lucky" or talented is only part of the story here. As a writer and aspiring screenwriter I found each interview to be quite insightful and inspirational in this regard. There is not one clear path to success in this business (or in life) but these filmmakers forged their own paths and found that if you are passionate about something and believe in yourself and your abilities you will eventually find your way in this uncharted territory.

James Toback points out (p. 171) "There are a lot of untalented people who are quite successful and a lot of incredibly talented people who never get a break. They just don't know how to use their personalities to advance themselves. Talented people are brushed aside and defeated and discouraged all the time and untalented people with relentless determination and a certain shrewdness advance all the time." At the core of this book is the message that one who chooses filmmaking as a profession must seek a delicate balance between talent, personality, and the ability to recognize a situation as an "opportunity" which could ultimately lead to that elusive "lucky break." It also doesn't hurt to be a talented writer as most of those interviewed are and were able to direct scripts they had written.

Ben Younger tells of the time he was a waiter in a Manhattan restaurant and happened to be asked by a customer about a short film he had written. The customer was also a successful writer who worked for HBO. He suggested that Ben send a copy of his film to his agent, and so the story goes....

The author elicits a compelling argument about the importance of following a dream. As director Tom DiCillo states at the end of his interview: "Making films is an utterly exhilarating feeling and that is why I do it. If it were only the agony then nobody would last. Sometimes I wish it were easier but I don't regret it for a second."

In the forward to the book, Jarecki mentions the title of the first chapter of Sidney Lumet's book MAKING MOVIES which is aptly titled, "The Director: The Greatest Job in the World". For this reason, if none other, BREAKING IN should be on the required reading list for film students in the US and abroad now and for years to come.

Like the author, Nicholas Jarecki, I am a film student and am interested in getting a showbiz job. I've read several books about how films are made, but little information is available about how some directors got the position. Well, this book answered any and all questions I have.

Jarecki has interviewed twenty directors and they all reveal the struggles they went through in order to reach the position. Most say the easiest way to become a director is to write a screenplay, but that's not how all of the directors in the book gained their jobs.

In the end, the book paints both a cynical and optimistic portrait of how one comes to be a director. It both scared me and enlightened me, and now I feel a little more comfortable about my career opportunities post-college. (I'm a sophomore now, by the way.)

All of the directors interviewed are all very frank about how their careers came to be. One of the highlights of the book is the chapter devoted to Abel Farrara; some of the stories he tells are hysterical. Brett Ratner comes off as a completely self-absorbed putz, and the amount of arrogance he displays has to be seen to be believed. Other highlights were on how Kris Isacsson's "Down To You" (a mediocre film, I think) came to be, and how nepotism didn't really get Jake Kasdan (son of Lawrence "I Wrote The Empire Strikes Back" Kasdan) his job.

However, there are problems. For one, in some passages the directors seem to drone on and on and on, so I skipped over some parts. At about the halfway mark finishing the book became almost a chore. Jarecki should have trimmed the fat on some of these parts. Roger Ebert's introduction isn't bad, but he doesn't say a whole lot. Thus, it's a four star book.

Overall, I'd recommend it to any film student. The book's only been out since December 2001, but I can easily see it becoming on par with "Required Hollywood Reading" books like Scorcese on Scorcese.

Jarecki interviews a variety of directors about their backgrounds and their first feature films. He has selected a good range of (English-speaking) directors, from John Schlesinger, who was part of the British New Wave of the 1960s, to Kimberly Pierce, whose first film was Boys Don't Cry (1999). Some of the interviews are very funny and enlightening. Most of the directors are articulate and have some good "breaking in" stories to share. Only James Toback comes across as a big bore: he blames critics and marketing people for the box-office failure of his films, and seems very impressed by the fact that he has associated with a lot of celebrities. The real problem with this book is that it doesn't seem to have had an editor. There are so many errors that it seems incredible that the publisher, Broadway Books, is a division of a major publisher (Random House). Among the dozens of names misspelled (in both the text and the index) are: Stan Brackhage; Nicolas Cage; Nina Foch; Aaron Eckhart (spelled Erin Eckhard); Tom Milne; and Mary Woronov (her surname is spelled Waranoff). But the funniest mistake is the name created for the director of the Soviet film A Slave of Love: Michael Cove. The director's name is actually Nikita Mikhalkov.

This is unquestionably the best book on film directors I've ever seen, and I've seen many. A film student myself, I was always interested in how directors started out, but never was able to find much information on the topic. Jarecki has compiled an excellent roster of directors and asks them interesting questions, reaping insightful information on the beginnings of their careers.

The interviews are fun, informative, and inspiring. I loved hearing Brett Ratner talk about how he cold-called Steven Spielberg and got a $3,000 check to finish his student film -- I was inspired by Ed Zwick's discussion of writing and how even when you're at the top of your game you still have to keep working to make things good.

Any naysayers are on crack -- this book was well worth the money. If you have any aspirations to make films or even a passing interest in how they are made, you should pick this up. It is very readable and enjoyable. Ebert's introduction is great, too.

I actualy read this book a while back when I was still trying to break into the film industry... and now having worked in the biz for almost 10 years I always recommend this book for beginners. Which is why i bought this book again. For a friend of mine who aspires to be a film director. Great read too!

I initially read through this book at the library, and was immediately interested in the approach. Occasionally, I did find the question and answer style of the book to be dull at times, but overall, I was able to gain a wealth of great ideas and information. This book is about breaking in. Each director giving their path to success was inspiring as it revealed that anyone can make it. On the other hand, it disheartening to realize that even with the most dedicated individuals, breaking in takes a bit of randomness and luck. The one idea that still holds with me today, is that no one is assigned the title of "director". It is a title that you assign to yourself.

It is very readable and enjoyable.

It has been said that a good film is the result of a good story. No matter how great or how poor the production value, it is ultimately a story that makes or breaks a film. The same could be said for literature. No matter how well-structured or poorly written a book might be, ultimately the deciding factor in whether or not it is worthy of recommendation is the story within its pages. In Jarecki's 'Breaking In' there are many stories that capture the attention of the audience, that tell the behind the scenes stories of the film world. Unfortunately, these stories are victims of the author's poor interviewing style. Jarecki's questions do not probe deeply enough, do not go the extra few inches that the reader wants them to go. Instead we are left with a good story and nothing more. Much like an old film projected on the the screen after years of use, 'Breaking In' is a damaged print filled with scratched writing and poor interviewing that don't completely cover-up a wonderful story, but do keep it from shining at its full potential.