Sidney Lumet (1924-2011) is the director who taught me filmmaking.
Film books were so rare to find in Thrissur or Coimbatore back in 1996. I used to save up half of my pocket money for film books. Since they were imported, they were expensive, but I had no other way to learn filmmaking.
I didn’t know about Sidney Lumet until I picked up his book Making Movies (1996) from a local book store in Thrissur, while I was on leave from college.
I chose this book (among maybe one more; spoilt for choice) because there were hardly any film books that focused on direction, from a real director. At that time I hadn’t heard of Kurosawa or Welles. It cost a big chunk out of my pocket money. When I realized this guy had directed tons of movies with Hollywood’s best actors over a 30+ year career, I guessed the book couldn’t be all that bad!
And, it had a quote from Spielberg. At the time Spielberg was my favorite director (he’s not in the top three now), so a testimonial from him was as good as gold.
Reading Making Movies was life-changing, and it still is. Every time I read it I learn something new. I always read it before making a film. To me, Sidney’s method of filmmaking is the most democratic way of filmmaking. It doesn’t ask the director to sacrifice his or her vision… or integrity.
How did he achieve the impossible?
The simple, yet deceptive, answer is:
He chose to work with the best people and let them do what they did best.
Easy to say, but hard to follow for most of us. He achieved the respect of his peers with great ease because he was honest, ethical and straightforward. I got the same feeling when reading his book.
It must have been the same qualities that endeared him to his actors and crew. He was not capable of disrespect or dishonesty, especially to his craft.
He was a master at manipulating the tools of his trade: the camera, sound, music, and most importantly, acting. The actors (all of them superstars) loved Sidney. He is known as an actor’s director.
I disagree slightly. He was also a writer’s director, and a cameraman’s director, and a director of everything else that is involved in the filmmaking world.
Above all, he was, and for me still is, the director’s director.
My favorite film of his is 12 Angry Men (1957), his first film; followed closely by Network (1976) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975).
My wish was to meet him, just to say: “Thank you, Sidney. Thank you for helping me start right.”
Sadly, it will remain unrealized. I didn’t learn about his death until about two months after it had happened. I wanted to make a film and show him. At the end of his career he could have written anything – an autobiography or a gossip paperback that might have sold a lot more. He wrote a book for filmmakers. How many other great directors have done that? Most can’t be bothered.
Even today, while I analyze a film or write an article I ask myself: How would Sidney have tackled this subject?
I hope to follow in his footsteps and support others with the same passion, honesty and integrity. I can’t think of a better tribute to him than to succeed through the power of his words.
Sidney Lumet, thank you.
Note: This article was written in June, 2011. Edited and moved to wolfcrow in May, 2020.
Looking for my favorite books for directors? Here it is:
