“Good films can be made only by a crew of dedicated maniacs,” David Lean once said. While a director usually gets the most amount of praise when it comes to a film, one can’t forget the backbone of a production: the crew that makes up the many moving parts. When it comes to a helmer behind sweeping epics such as Lawrence of Arabia (which took an entire year to film) and Doctor Zhivago, that’s certainly the case. As Lean would’ve celebrated his birthday today, we’ve dug up a documentary that takes an in-depth look at this aforementioned crew.
Titled David Lean and His Dedicated Maniacs, Rocio Cano’s documentary aired on BBC in 2009, but is now available to watch online. Introducing production manager Norman Spencer, camera operator Peter Newbrook, assistant director Michael Stevenson (who still works today, on such films as The Social Network and Children of Men), and prop master Eddie Fowlie, it features archived interviews with Lean, as well as the crew, all discussing the many stories in these epic, often tumultuous productions. The Brief Encounter helmer also talks about his wariness of improvisation, difficulty in finding worthwhile source material, and much more. Check out the 30-minute documentary below, split up in three parts.
What’s your favorite David Lean production?