Lumet

I had never heard of Sidney Lumet up until several years ago, but the man’s output is nothing short of astonishing. He has never made a truly bad film, although some are better than others, and each is crafted with such an intricate care towards story and actors that the filmmaking becomes practically invisible. We become wrapped up entirely in these narratives that draw us completely into their fold.

12 Angry Men, The Pawnbroker, The Hill, The Offence, Serpico, Murder on the Orient Express, Dog Day Afternoon, Network, Prince of the City, The Verdict, Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead.

Who else but Lumet could have made films as diverse as these and yet always stayed completely true to the original story’s intent? The genius of a Lumet film is the fact that it is a movie first and foremost. It has no pretensions of being a “film” or something more important. There is no desire for box office glory, mass appeal, or making a name for one’s self. Lumet simply likes making good films.

His extreme workmanship stems from his days directing 50’s live television. In this field everything was done in sequential order, in one take, and live for the masses sitting at home around their television set. There could be no room for error. You simply got what you got and had to make do and live with it. Thus, rehearsal became an important tool for making sure nothing was left to chance. Lumet continued this practice on virtually all of his major productions and thus became known as an “actor’s director”. This is complete crap. It is because of this attention to performance that Lumet’s films stand apart from the rest.

Most had written the man off, but in 2007 Lumet used the independent film industry to his advantage and came way out of left field with Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead. With this film he proved both that he still had fight left in himself, and just what a real filmmaker can do with a movie. Lumet is not afraid to make statements or ask questions to an audience. A key comparison that establishes this is the difference between his The Verdict and Scorsese’s follow up to The Hustler, The Color of Money. Both feature Paul Newman as an aged older man who has nothing left in his dreary life. Both feature the possibility of redemption and of something to live for again. However, it is Lumet’s film that actually makes you feel and believe this. Color of Money is tossed of Scorsese that was done to get financing for The Last Temptation of Christ. The difference between the two is startling.

Lumet can tackle anything given the correct material to start with. His magic is making the material as strong and sound as possible by working with cast and crew to achieve this. Rehearsals add new ideas and inspirations and these are incorporated into the script. Then this is shot for the finished product which thus has the feeling of spontaneity that keeps things fresh for us and the strong narrative we secretly crave.