David Lean: Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers) [Paperback]

Steven Organ (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 14, 2009 | Series: Conversations with Filmmakers

Along with Michael Powell and Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean (1908-1991) is one of the most significant British filmmakers to emerge from the first half of the twentieth century. His use of panoramic landscapes, precision editing, grandiose compositions, and epic themes--as epitomized in his classics Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago--have influenced Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and numerous other directors. Lean's films encompass a wide range of styles and genres: quiet, personal dramas (Brief Encounter, Summertime); stylized adaptations of classic novels and plays (Blithe Spirit, Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, A Passage to India); and wartime dramas (In Which We Serve, The Bridge on the River Kwai).

David Lean: Interviews offers the reader the most thorough and complete compendium of illuminating interviews with the director, several of which are exclusive to this edition. Lean speaks openly about his process and his passion for film, revealing a complicated and talented artist who at times shows great bravado, while at other times exposes deep insecurities. The volume chronicles the career of one of cinema's most popular and groundbreaking filmmakers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Interviews with the director of Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago, A Passage to India, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and many other epic films

About the Author

Steven Organ is vice president of production for ArkMedia, Inc., and the proprietor of DavidLean.com. He has directed and produced plays and videos for theatre companies in San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Mississippi (May 14, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1604732350
• ISBN-13: 978-1604732351
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,706,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful collection of interviews with a great storyteller, July 22, 2009

By 

Michael Cohn "agile developer" (Lafayette, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: David Lean: Interviews (Conversations With Filmmakers) (Hardcover)

Sometime around 1971-73, before video recorders and DVRs, my dad let me stay up late one Friday night to watch "The Bridge on the River Kwai." Wow. A few years later, I came across "Lawrence of Arabia." Double wow. By then I'd learned what a director did and discovered that two of my favorite movies had been directed by David Lean.

This book is an excellent collection of interviews with the director. Some are direct question/response interviews. Of these, I think the standout is Robert Stewart's 1965 interview right after Dr. Zhivago came out. I loved reading Lean's thoughts on how he handled Zhivago himself because as Lean said, "he's not a typical screen hero. He is an observer. He doesn't do anything really." Yet, he turned that into a powerful movie and character.

Other of the interviews are of the "I interviewed David Lean and here are his comments and my thoughts." Another standout here is also from 1965 by Hollis Alpert. But the best is perhaps Harlan Kennedy's from 1985 and shortly after "A Passage to India," which has the luxury of looking back over Lean's entire career.

The editor of the book is uniquely qualified to have collected this diverse set of interviews. He maintains an interesting website devoted specifically to David Lean.

This is an excellent book that I can highly recommend to anyone interested in great films, great directors, or looking to learn how to tell a great story.

5.0 out of 5 stars What Lean Said, May 26, 2011

By 

C. Santas "Constantine Santas/film buff" (St. Augustine, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: David Lean: Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers) (Paperback)

This book, edited by Steven Organ, contains numerous interviews of Lean by various critics, and it is a must for Lean lovers and scholars who would like to have Lean's own opinions and comments on movie-making. Essential for anyone who collects written materials on Lean. His own voice is heard on matters of his lentgthy preparations for filming, his methods used for adaptation from literary sources, script writing (the most essential element in the process), techniques used, relations with actors, etc. Such commments, given in common-sense, clear descriptions, are accessible to both the movie buff and scholar alike. Contrary to what many thought, Lean, always speaks with clarity and directness, and displays a firm grasp on film/literary matters, and, most importantly, speaks from experience. The slim volume features an Introduction, chronology, and a full-credits filmography. It also mentions the films Lean edited at the beginning of his career. This is a guide for would-be film-makers and to the newer generations who still discover one of the greatest directors of the twentieth century.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful collection of interviews with a great storyteller, July 22, 2009

By 

Michael Cohn "agile developer" (Lafayette, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Sometime around 1971-73, before video recorders and DVRs, my dad let me stay up late one Friday night to watch "The Bridge on the River Kwai." Wow. A few years later, I came across "Lawrence of Arabia." Double wow. By then I'd learned what a director did and discovered that two of my favorite movies had been directed by David Lean.

This book is an excellent collection of interviews with the director. Some are direct question/response interviews. Of these, I think the standout is Robert Stewart's 1965 interview right after Dr. Zhivago came out. I loved reading Lean's thoughts on how he handled Zhivago himself because as Lean said, "he's not a typical screen hero. He is an observer. He doesn't do anything really." Yet, he turned that into a powerful movie and character.

Other of the interviews are of the "I interviewed David Lean and here are his comments and my thoughts." Another standout here is also from 1965 by Hollis Alpert. But the best is perhaps Harlan Kennedy's from 1985 and shortly after "A Passage to India," which has the luxury of looking back over Lean's entire career.

The editor of the book is uniquely qualified to have collected this diverse set of interviews. He maintains an interesting website devoted specifically to David Lean.

This is an excellent book that I can highly recommend to anyone interested in great films, great directors, or looking to learn how to tell a great story.