Barry Levinson: director, producer, screenwriter

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:46

Barry Levinson, an outstanding American director, screenwriter and producer saw the world in 1942. Violet and Irvin Levinson, who became his parents, were Jewish emigrants from Russia. They came to B altimore (Maryland) and were engaged in the furniture trade. Barry attended American University in Washington and later settled in Los Angeles.

First steps in cinema

At the beginning of his career, Barry Levinson was engaged in variety shows, or rather, wrote scripts for them. His services were used by Tim Conway, Marty Feldman and others. However, Barry's passion has always been directing.

The first full-length comedy films based on Levinson's scripts were Fear of Heights and Silent Movie. By the way, in the first of them, Barry made his debut as an actor. He was entrusted with the role of a courier.

1982 was marked by a great event for Barry: the release of Diner, his first film. The director's work was appreciated, and for the script written by him, BarryLevinson was nominated for the prestigious Oscar. The film community recognized the film as worthy, noting the warm nostalgic tone and the excellent work of the main actors.

The film, whose genre can be defined as a tragicomedy, was the first of several films illustrating some biographical moments from the director's youth. In the same list, the dramatic "Aluminum Men", in the center of the plot is a life story about manufacturers of finishing materials. The lead role was brilliantly played by Danny DeVito.

The series was continued by the film narration "Avalon". This family film became a description of the life of Jewish emigrants. By the way, the cast also includes young Elijah Wood. In this context, it is also worth mentioning the "Height of Freedom", which contains autobiographical events.

An extraordinary war film

Such a seemingly impossible task: the creation of a comedy about the course of the Vietnam War, was successfully implemented by Barry Levinson in the film "Good Morning Vietnam!". One of the factors that brought the film popularity was the participation in the title role of Robin Williams. Then he was known as a telecomic and was able to brilliantly embody the character of DJ Adrian Cronauer. Such a person really existed, actually went on the radio and broadcast to American soldiers in Saigon. The film portrayed in vivid colors how important the role of laughter is, which can become a kind of shield and shield from the madness of war.

Fateful "Rain Man"

Director's next film throughoutFor a long time, the best specialists of those times, including Spielberg, were developing, but Barry Levinson was involved in the final implementation of the project. The filmography of the director was replenished with another picture, and the audience received a completely unique product. No one is surprised by financially successful films, as well as those that have been repeatedly awarded prizes and awards, but a picture that combines all these qualities deserves attention.

Notable award

The story of two brothers, one of whom is a brilliant autist, and the other is an egocentric rogue, can affect almost everyone. The excellent performance of the acting duo, on which the film is built, convincingly and systematically shows the transformation of the character of Tom Cruise. The film won four gold statuettes, including director Barry Levinson. Dustin Hoffman also received an Oscar.

In addition, the film won an award at the Berlin Film Festival.

Unrecognized genius

Further activity of Barry continues as a screenwriter and director of films and animations of various genres: dramas, melodramas, comedies, sports dramas, horrors, thrillers, crime and military comedies.

Barry Levinson could not always boast of the crazy success of his creations, some pictures were frankly failed by him. Other audiences and critics took it quite calmly. Among the undeservedly criticized films, the crimeComedy Bandits. Its plot is far from original and even a little naive: the elusive "sleepers" (played by Bruce Willis and Billy Bob Thornton) rob bank after bank across the country. Over time, a "desperate housewife" (Cate Blanchett) joins them and captures the hearts of both of them. Director Barry Levinson has managed to capture the spirit of adventurism, adventure and very lively romantic experiences on the screen.

The picture cannot be called very dynamic, but the tension of the plot is played masterfully. The main advantages of the film, which bring it to the level of a truly high-quality cinema, are a unique selection of soundtracks, the subtlest charm and humor. These qualities, to one degree or another, are inherent in many of the films that Barry Levinson shoots. The photo below was taken on the set of The Bandits in 2001.

Producers

Barry Levinson and producer Mark Johnson have been in partnership for a long time. They organized a film company and released many films. The collaboration ended in 1994, but Barry continued to produce the pictures. His abilities have manifested themselves while working on "Obsession", "The Perfect Storm" and others.