R.I.P William Friedkin (1 Viewer)

[Kevin Antonio (Kev)]

Didn't john ford punch Maureen ohara? Sam pekinpah belittled Olivia De Haviland in front of the crew while directing noon wine for a reaction. Bertolucci adding the butter scene to last tango, and mentally manipulating his lead actress into doing it. Most directors back then did what was necessary for the desired reaction or shot. Not saying it's right but lots of cases of this type of behavior.

 

[bujaki]

Lillian Gish on ice floes, her hand and hair on the freezing water; and Richard Barthelmess jumping on the ice floes in the rushing water in order to rescue her. All during a blinding snowstorm.
Billy Bitzer cranking the camera; DW Griffith directing.
Unforgettable scene in Way Down East.

 

[Robert Crawford]

It’s a different time now. I think Friedkin acknowledges he couldn’t use those stunts today.

 

[Robert Saccone]

Good piece in today’s NYT on the Exorcist and Friedkin. Lots of comments from him of which I was unaware.


https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/12/...ytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

Thanks article link. If you’ll through the comments you will find that the author’s son, Michael Blatty, gave his thoughts as well.

 

[WillG]

But why are they still regarded as legends in our current climate

 

[TravisR]

But why are they still regarded as legends in our current climate

I'd say it's because movie fans can put what Friedkin did in the proper context and historical perspective and, most importantly, the general public doesn't have a clue who William Friedkin (or Sam Peckinpah or John Ford or D.W. Griffith) is so they don't get demolished on social media for a day or two.

 

[jayembee]

But why are they still regarded as legends in our current climate

For the same reason acclaimed authors with...let's say...personal issues -- like Lewis Carroll or Ernest Hemingway -- are still praised for their writing despite those personal issues. And that's because people are able to distinguish the difference between the person and their work.

 

[bujaki]

For the same reason acclaimed authors with...let's say...personal issues -- like Lewis Carroll or Ernest Hemingway -- are still praised for their writing despite those personal issues. And that's because people are able to distinguish the difference between the person and their work.

Amen!

 

[Kevin Antonio (Kev)]

In a interview with Marc maron Mr. Friedkin acknowledged that he made mistakes on French connection, and if he could do it over again, he would use cgi and digital effects so nobody got hurt. What really baffles me is how in the world did he capture the bridge scene in sorcerer. Even on a TV screen I get nervous seeing that heavy truck trying to cross.
I will go back through Marons archive and find the link.

 

[The Drifter]

While made some great contributions to film it probably should be said that he could be pretty ruthless in his methods. There was the story that in the Exorcist where Ellen Burstyn was thrown back from Regan’s slap she was pulled back using a rope. Burstyn complained that it was too much and he told her that he would go easier, but then yanked her even harder in the next take which apparently led to chronic back issues for Burstyn. Was also known to have fired guns on set to get desired reactions. Made Mercedes McCambridge (voice of possessed Regan) chain smoke, chug whiskey and drink raw eggs to the voice sound the way he wanted. Another incident showed with Freidkin not getting the reaction he wanted from William O’Malley (Father Dyer) from Karrass’s death. So he said something to O’Malley like “do you trust me” got a yes response to which Friedkin slapped him across the face as hard as he could. On the French Connection he apparently ordered the crew to cause a traffic jam on one of the NYC bridges to get a shot he wanted and apparently filmed the famous car chase without permits and with little regards for safety. I guess you can’t argue with the results he got and not to speak ill of the dead but a lot of stuff you couldn’t do today

Never knew this before. Honestly - this is all pretty @$#%#@-up. However, I'm not surprised in the least.

 

[Jeffrey D]

While made some great contributions to film it probably should be said that he could be pretty ruthless in his methods. There was the story that in the Exorcist where Ellen Burstyn was thrown back from Regan’s slap she was pulled back using a rope. Burstyn complained that it was too much and he told her that he would go easier, but then yanked her even harder in the next take which apparently led to chronic back issues for Burstyn. Was also known to have fired guns on set to get desired reactions. Made Mercedes McCambridge (voice of possessed Regan) chain smoke, chug whiskey and drink raw eggs to the voice sound the way he wanted. Another incident showed with Freidkin not getting the reaction he wanted from William O’Malley (Father Dyer) from Karrass’s death. So he said something to O’Malley like “do you trust me” got a yes response to which Friedkin slapped him across the face as hard as he could. On the French Connection he apparently ordered the crew to cause a traffic jam on one of the NYC bridges to get a shot he wanted and apparently filmed the famous car chase without permits and with little regards for safety. I guess you can’t argue with the results he got and not to speak ill of the dead but a lot of stuff you couldn’t do today

Yes Friedkin talked a little bit about these things in The French Connection commentary. If memory serves, the way the car/elevated chase was shot led to an unplanned car accident while Hackman was actually driving in one of the shots.

 

[Garysb]

TCM Tribute per TVline


Turner Classic Movies will celebrate the life and career of director William Friedkin, who died on Aug. 7 at the age of 87.

On Thursday, Sept. 14, TCM will air three of Friedkin’s movies: The French Connection at 8 pm, followed by To Live and Die in L.A. (at 10 pm) and The Boys in the Band (at 12:15 am).

The tribute continues on Sunday, Nov. 26, with the 2018 documentary Friedkin Uncut (at 8 pm) and one of Friedkin’s most iconic films, The Exorcist (at 10 pm).

 

[WillG]

And that's because people are able to distinguish the difference between the person and their work.

Some (hopefully most) can, but a lot of people can’t

 

[Robert Crawford]

Some (hopefully most) can, but a lot of people can’t

Well, that's their problem!

 

[WillG]

Well, that's their problem!

Theres a lot of things out there in this world where I would agree with that sentiment, but sometimes in reality it doesn’t hold up (but yeah with Friedkin and others at in that period it was a different time and those tactics were more commonplace)

 

[Robert Crawford]

Theres a lot of things out there in this world where I would agree with that sentiment, but sometimes in reality it doesn’t hold up (but yeah with Friedkin and others at in that period it was a different time and those tactics were more commonplace)

Well, we're not going to solve the world's discourse problems in this thread.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Good long-form interview with him from back in 2016:


EDIT: The YouTube video was deleted, so here it is on Spotify. The interview starts at 7:35

 

[TravisR]

The Movies That Made Me podcast (with your hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante) recorded a new introduction for their William Friedkin episode to memorialize him.

William Friedkin

Remembering the iconic director William Friedkin.

trailersfromhell.com