Danny Boyle - Lust for Life

Mark Browning

Description

Danny Boyle is one of contemporary filmmaking's most exciting talents. Since the early 1990s he has steadily created a body of work that crosses genres and defies easy categorisation, from black humour (Shallow Grave), gritty realism (Trainspotting), screwball comedy (A Life Less Ordinary), cult adaptations (The Beach), and horror (28 Days Later), to science fiction (Sunshine), children's drama (Millions), love stories (Slumdog Millionaire) and tales of personal redemption (127 Hours). Unlike many of his peers, Boyle seems most comfortable when working with modest budgets, relying on acting ability rather than special effects, and surrounding himself with a trusted team of writers, cinematographers and production designers. His restless energy, vitality and drive find their expression in the celebratory tone of his films - their lust for life.In this book, Mark Browning provides a rigorous but highly accessible analysis of Boyle's work, discussing the processes by which he absorbs generic and literary influences, the way he gains powerful performances both from inexperienced casts and A-list stars, his portrayal of regional identity, his use of moral dilemmas as a narrative trigger, and the religious undercurrents that permeate his films.

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 01 mai 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780957112810
• Langue: English

Extrait

Contents

Front Matter ..................................................... 3 Tîte Page ..................................................... 3 Pubîser ïnormatîon ................................... 4

ust or îe ...................................................... 5 ïntroductîon ................................................. 5 Adaptatîon ................................................. 10 A Tae o Severa Genres .............................. 40 Perormance versus Tecnoogy..................... 78 Regîona and Natîona ïdentîty ................. 116 Mora Coîces .......................................... 148 Reîgîon.................................................... 182 Concusîon ............................................... 209

End Matter.................................................... 220 Bîbîograpy ............................................. 220 Fîmograpy ............................................. 225 Aso Avaîabe........................................... 231

DANNY BOYLE LUST FOR LIFE

Mark Brownîng

Publîser Inormatîon

Fîrst pubîsed în 2011 by Capîn Books 1 Eîza Pace Gosport PO12 4UN Te: 023 9252 9020 www.capînbooks.co.uk

Dîgîta edîtîon converted and dîstrîbuted în 2012 by Andrews UK îmîted www.andrewsuk.com

Copyrîgt © Mark Brownîng

A rîgts reserved. No part o tîs pubîcatîon may be reproduced, stored în any retrîeva system or transmîtted în any orm or by any means, eectronîc, mecanîca, potocopyîng, recordîng or oterwîse, wîtout te prîor wrîtten permîssîon o te copyrîgt oder or wîc appîcatîon soud be addressed în te Irst înstance to te pubîsers. No îabîîty sa be attaced to te autor, te copyrîgt oder or te pubîsers or oss or damage o any nature sufered as a resut o reîance on te reproductîon o any o te contents o tîs pubîcatîon or any errors or omîssîons în îts contents.

Desîgn by Heen Tayor

Introductîon

‘ï want peope to eave te cînema eeîng tat sometîng’s been conIrmed or tem about îe’ 1 (Danny Boyle)

he genesîs or tîs book was te moment Danny Boye came bouncîng, în îs words ‘în te manner o Tîgger,’ onto te stage to coect îs Oscar or Best Dîrector în 2009.Sumdog Mîîonaîre ad been în competîtîon wît Davîd Fîncer’she Curîous Case o Benjamîn Buttonîn a number o categorîes, and proceeded to wîn every sînge one. On te one and, Fîncer’s movîe ad a $150 mîîon budget, state-o-te-art specîa efects, and a cast eaded by Brad Pîtt and Cate Bancett; on te oter, Boye’s movîe ad ony $20 mîîon beînd ît, no specîa efects to speak o, dîaogue tat was party în Hîndî and a cast o mînor actors and non-proessîonas. ïn act, beore Fox Searcîgt pîcked up te Im or a teatrîca reease, ît was destîned to go straîgt to DVD. Coud Fîncer, a perectîonîst amous or demandîng extended re-soots and wît a îgy tecnîca approac to Immakîng, ave even been capabe o makîngSumdog Mîîonaîre? ït woud be ard to îmagîne a greater juxtaposîtîon o styes and ît made me tînk about Boye’s career and ow e ad reaced tat poînt. Boye was born on 20 October 1956 înto a workîng-cass amîy (îs moter a aîrdresser and dînner ady; îs ater a arm abourer) and was îmbued wît a strong work etîc rom an eary age, underîned by an a-encompassîng sense o Catoîc sîn and redemptîon. He ad a pace at a semînary în Upoand în Wîgan untî persuaded by a prîest, Fater Conway, tat peraps tîs was not îs true vocatîon, and înstead went to Bangor Unîversîty to study Engîs and Drama. Hîs career began în te teatre, as an user or te Joînt Stock heatre Company, known or teîr cuttîng-edge productîons, and [1] Page 2009 p.3.

eventuay as a dîrector. ïn 1982 was appoînted artîstîc dîrector at te Roya Court heatre Upstaîrs, were e was responsîbe or a number o sma-scae productîons încudîng Howard Brenton’s ‘he Genîus’ and Edward Bond’s ‘Saved’, te atter wînnîng a Tîme Out award. ïn 1985, e graduated to te maîn stage, dîrectîng severa urter successu projects, încudîng ‘he ast Days o Don Juan’ or te Roya Sakespeare Company. Wen e moved înto teevîsîon, e went Irst to te BBC în Nortern ïreand to produce te poweru dramaEepant (Aan Carke, 1989) about te sectarîan kîîngs, beore movîng back to te maînand to dîrect an îstorîca drama about a reîgîous sect, Mr Wroe’s Vîrgîns(1993), and two eary epîsodes oïnspector Morse, one on Masonîc rîtua and one on rave cuture. Wîe îs work onMorsesows îtte obvîous cînematîc Laîr, îs dîrectîon o tese epîsodes dîd ep to create, în coaboratîon wît actor Jon haw, one o Brîtaîn’s best-oved TV detectîves. ït was tîs experîence at te BBC tat taugt Boye te basîcs o medîa productîon, workîng wît modest budgets but wîtîn an organîsatîon commîtted to îg quaîty drama and wît a reputatîon or socîa reaîsm. Boye began îs Immakîng career în 1994 wîtSaow Grave, te Irst o tree Ims made wît producer Andrew Macdonad and wrîter Jon Hodge (Traînspottîng was to oow în 1996 and A Lîe Less Ordînaryîn 1997). he Irst two o tese, produced în coaboratîon wît Canne Four Fîms, eped revîve te Brîtîs Im îndustry, atoug te portraya o drug-takîng în Traînspottîng provoked crîtîcîsm and Boye became caracterîsed as a dîrector înterested ony în grîtty, workîng-cass pîctures.A Lîe Less Ordînary was an attempt to break away rom tîs and to connect more dîrecty wît an Amerîcan market. hîs brougt îts own probems: Boye ound tat arger budgets and crews entaîed creatîve compromîses, sometîng tat was aso to afect te oow-up Im, he Beac, reeased în 2000. Bot Ims were met cooy by crîtîcs and neîter met te commercîa expectatîons o Twentîet Century-Fox, now Boye’s Inancîa backer.

ïn 2001, Boye took a step back rom eature Ims, returnîng to te sma screen to dîrect two sma-scae, grîtty dramas or te BBC: Strumpet and Vacuumîng Competey Nude în Paradîse. he break gave îm te cance to re-group creatîvey and to experîment wît îgtweîgt dîgîta cameras în coaboratîon wît cînematograper Antony Dod Mante, an experîence wîc dîrecty contrîbuted to te success o îs next eature, te orror Im28 Days Later. Reeased în 2002, and backed by Fox Searcîgt, Twentîet Century’s dîstrîbutîon arm deaîng wît more experîmenta and înnovatîve Immakîng, ît was a commercîa and crîtîca success. ït aso marked Boye’s abîîty to move between a varîety o genres wît equa success, a tendency contînued wîtMîîonsîn 2004 and Sunsîne în 2007.Mîîonsto Ind îts audîence on genera aîed reease, party due to îts ambîtîon and party due to te sad act tat an înteîgent cîdren’s Im îs sometîng o a generîc rarîty. he scîence Ictîon oSunsînewas more successu but took a ong tîme to brîng to te screen - te creatîon o a compete Ictîona unîverse was an experîence wîc Boye ound exaustîng and probaby not one wîc e woud want to repeat any tîme soon. Stî wît Fox Searcîgt, Boye teamed up wît wrîter Sîmon Beauoy, wose work e admîred, partîcuary onhe Fu Monty (dîr. Peter Cattaneo 1997), to createSumdog Mîîonaîreîn 2008. Vîkas Swarup’s 2006 noveQ&Abeen a bestseer and Boye ad eapt at te caenge, întrîgued not so muc by a narratîve based on a TV sow as te îdea o Imîng a Boywood-stye ove story în ïndîa. he Im was a uge success and ed to eîgt Oscars în 2009, încudîng Boye as Best Dîrector. Ater muc îndustry and medîa specuatîon, Boye oowed tîs up wît127 Hoursîn 2010, based on te true story o Aron Raston, a cîmber and trî-seeker wo was party trapped under a bouder or severa days în te Uta mountaîns, and wo ad to ace te dîemma o dyîng a sow deat or cuttîng of îs own arm. here îs îtte exîstîng crîtîca îterature about Boye’s work. Ony one o îs Ims to date,Traînspottîng,as receîved îndîvîdua book- engt consîderatîon. Martîn Stoery (2001) and Murray Smît

(2008) bot wrîte înterestîngy about te Im, but teîr studîes are aîry brîe and do not use întertextuaîty as a crîtîca too. here îs growîng înterest în Boye îmse, wît two books o întervîews pubîsed în 2011 (by Amy Rapae and Brent Dunam), but în a sense tese act as sometîng o a dîstractîon rom te raw materîa o te Ims temseves. Beore tîs book, te ony attempt to open out te Ied o studîes înto Boye’s work as been Edwîn Page’sOrdînary Heroes: te Fîms o Danny BoyePage takes an auteurîst (2009). posîtîon and ooks at te Ims or evîdence o wat e îdentîIes at te begînnîng as te dîrector’s avoured temes and styîstîc devîces. he dîicuty wît tîs approac îs tat ît assumes tese temes are present în a îs Ims and are readîy transparent to every vîewer, wereas ï woud argue tat meanîngs în any vîsua medîum are by no means undîsputed or unîversa. ït îs împortant to remember tat Boye îs teîng storîes, not deîverîng temes, and tat seeîng caracters as ‘carrîers’ o messages can ead to reductîonîst assertîons about ‘te utîmate message’ o a Im, suc as Page’s contentîon tat ‘money does brîng appîness’ îs te message oSaow Graveand tatSumdog Mîîonaîreîs ‘part o te unîversîty o îe or a wo 2 watc ît’. Page aso overooks an opportunîty or more însîgtu contextua anaysîs by tryîng to assîgn sînge meanîngs to partîcuar styîstîc devîces, so tat voîce-overs are categorîsed as beîng used to denote maîn caracters, mutîpe screens to sow more tan one 3 settîng, and sots troug gass and water to ‘add texture’. Rater tan seekîng to împose a readîng across a Boye’s work, tîs book ooks at eac Im and consîders wat makes ît efectîve, troug a cose anaysîs o stye, narratîve structure and perormance. ït vîews Boye not as an auteur but as part o a coaboratîve team tat consîsts o actors, wrîters and cînematograpers wît wom e as a cose and trustîng reatîonsîp. ïn watcîng Boye’s Ims, ï was struck by teîr ceebratory, îe-airmîng tone - te way e seems aways to opt or te posîtîve over te negatîve - and ow e contînues to make brave coîces în terms o genre, narratîve, [2] Page 2009 p.29 and p.220. [3] Page 2009 p.15.

caracter and dîrectorîa stye, subvertîng te expectatîons o te îndustry and o te vîewîng pubîc. hîs book îs wrîtten or dîscernîng Im vîewers wo are amîîar wît, or curîous about, Boye’s work: opeuy, ît soud make readers reconsîder Ims tey tînk tey aready know and seek out some tey mîgt ave mîssed.

Capter One: Adaptatîon

‘ït îs wrîtten’ (one o our optîons rom te openîng gamesow- style credîts în Slumdog Mîllîonaîre)

Wrîtîng on Danny Boye as routîney overooked one împortant act - tat a number o îs best-known Ims are adaptatîons. Traînspottîng, he Beacand Sumdog Mîîonaîre are a based on noves, and127 Hoursîs taken rom Aron Raston’s book about îs own experîences,Between a Rock and a Hard Pace (2004). Even Boye’s eary TV work încudîng epîsodes orïnspector Morse(ïTV 1990 and 1992) and te dramaMr Wroe’s Vîrgîns(BBC 1993) ad a pre-exîstîng îterary ramework. he Morse epîsodes ‘Masonîc Mysterîes’ and ‘Cerubîm and Serapîm’ were scrîpted by Juîan Mîtce but based on caracters created în Coîn Dexter’s noves; andMr Wroe’s Vîrgînsscrîpted by Jane Rogers rom er own was book. As we as avourîng estabîsed îterary sources or îs Ims, Boye preers to work - were possîbe - wît te orîgîna wrîters wo, by împîcatîon, know te materîa best. For îs Irst our eatures Boye worked wît Jon Hodges, wo produced orîgîna scrîpts orSaow GraveandA Lîe Less Ordînaryand adaptatîons oTraînspottîngandhe Beac, ten wît Aex Garand on28 Days Later andSunsîne, and more recenty wît Sîmon Beauoy on Sumdog Mîîonaîreand127 Hours. he ImMîîonsa one- was of project wît wrîter Frank Cottre Boyce. Beauoy, toug not a noveîst, ad proven îs abîîty, wît Ims îkehe Fu Monty(dîr. Peter Cattaneo 1997), to crat învovîng, uman-centred dramas wît wîc audîences can connect. Commentary în te maînstream medîa about Im adaptatîon îs oten domînated by a straîn o adaptatîon teory known as Ideîty crîtîcîsm, wîc - as Brîan McFarane expaîns - assumes tat an autor’s întentîon îs transparent and tat te urter a Im versîon