One of my movie heroes, director Sidney Lumet, died today. He was 86.
When we moved to Colorado in 1999, one of my aspirations was to make short films. A few years before we left Fort Worth I began researching independent film making. During this time I found a ‘gem’ of a book in the bargain bin at Walden's by Sidney Lumet called Making Movies (1996). In the book, Lumet explains his process of film making by recounting the production of some of his movies. Not necessarily his best or most popular movies but the ones with unique shots, interesting techniques, and big production challenges. As I went through the book I rented and watched each of the films he described. I think this is why I have a great appreciation for his work.
Below are some of my favorite movies by Sidney Lumet:
Plot Summary: A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.
A classic. If you've never seen this one, you need to.
Plot Summary: Author Eugene O'Neill gives an autobiographical account of his explosive homelife, fused by a drug-addicted mother, a father who wallows in drink after realizing he is no longer a famous actor and an older brother who is emotionally unstable and a misfit. The family is reflected by the youngest son, who is a sensitive and aspiring writer.
This movie was filmed with the camera angle starting up high and then slowly descending as the movie progressed; like the sun setting. This technique was used as sort of a play on the title.
Plot Summary: A Jewish pawnbroker, victim of Nazi persecution, loses all faith in his fellow man until he realizes too late the tragedy of his actions.
This movie was very hard to find; I remember subscribing to Netflix for the sole purpose of renting it. Once I returned the movie, I cancelled my subscription.
Plot Summary: When a Jewish jeweler is found dead and his store is missing more than one million dollars in diamonds, a New York police detective goes undercover in a community of Hasidic Jews to find the criminal. Once she is immersed in the community, she falls in love with one of the most devout members, who helps her find the criminal.
I admit, this was probably not one of his best movies and, actually, he was accused of ripping off the movie Witness which took place in an Amish community. But, it is one of my favorites because about a year after we watched it, we were turned on to Messianic Judaism. I remember watching it again after we had learned about Jewish traditions and it made more sense to me.
Watch some film clips here: Sidney Lumet: a career in clips
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