by Tom Ryan
First published 2017
Stephen Schiff called Fred Schepisi the least-known great director in mainstream American cinema. Born in 1939, Schepisi emerged during Australia's 1970s film renaissance and built his reputation as a master at directing actors. This collection presents twenty interviews with the filmmaker plus conversations with his key collaborators, cinematographer Ian Baker and composer Paul Grabowsky. The discussions trace Schepisi's path from advertising into filmmaking, starting with his early Australian works The Devil's Playground and The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith. The interviews then follow his move to international productions including Plenty, Roxanne, A Cry in the Dark, The Russia House, Six Degrees of Separation, Empire Falls, Last Orders, and Eye of the Storm. Schepisi explains his creative decisions and reveals how he works with performers and crew members. His films span different themes and visual approaches, yet all demonstrate what Schiff described as his serenely muscular style. The conversations form a master class in direction, offering readers direct access to the mind of a filmmaker who has forged his own distinctive path in cinema.
Genres: biography, art, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, film
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: master-class
Setting: America, Australia
Period: 1970s, 20th-century, 21st-century
240 pages · Kindle Edition · University Press of Mississippi