In his 1994 New Yorker profile of Federico Fellini, Clive James wrote that one of the Italian director’s gifts as a filmmaker was his ability to see what was universal in his own life and to expertly convey that onscreen. While the directors featured in this week’s archive collection come from varied backgrounds, many of them share Fellini’s skill at translating personal narrative into a broader vision. In previous months, we’ve offered selections of classic New Yorker stories on chefs, artists, actresses, and scientists. For this collection, we’ve pulled together six pieces about directors and the craft of filmmaking, from Jean-Luc Godard’s early embrace of pop culture in “Breathless” to Mira Nair’s flair for documenting the complexities of cultural identity in “Salaam Bombay!”
“The Man Who Forgets Nothing” (2000): Mark Singer follows Martin Scorsese as he recounts his early cinematic influences and begins work on a new film, “Gangs of New York.”
“Whirlwind” (2002): John Lahr chronicles Mira Nair’s sly eye for paradox and explores how films like “Salaam Bombay!” reveal the narratives of those living on the margins of society.
“An Exile in Paradise” (2002): Richard Brody recounts Jean-Luc Godard's journey from “Breathless” to his later life and career in Switzerland, revealing a director with a highly particularized obsession with the past.
“The Movie Lover” (2003): Larissa MacFarquhar considers Quentin Tarantino’s love of genre movies and hangout films, and accompanies him on the set of “Kill Bill.”
“People Start Running” (1980): James Stevenson examines the indie filmmaker John Carpenter’s desire to remain outside the traditional Hollywood system, and asks whether the success of “Halloween” has altered how audiences approach genre movies.
“The Imperfectionist” (1996) John Lahr traces Woody Allen’s path from standup comic to Hollywood director and details his return to musical comedy with the film “Everyone Says I Love You.”
We hope that you enjoy these pieces, as well as the stories we’ve already shared in previous collections, and that you’ll follow us on Facebook and Twitter, where our contributors continue to recommend their favorite articles from the archive.
