Tonight we bring you the latest episode in our weekly Guest Post series: Medium Cool with BGinCHI
In case you missed the introduction to the series:
Culture as a Hedge Against this Soul-Sucking Political Miasma We’re Living In
Tonight’s Topic: Fascinated by Sydney Pollack
Take it away, BG!
I’ve done a lot of research on my hometown for a novel and short stories (one in the forthcoming Midwest Review #8), but one of my most abiding fascinations is that the director/actor/producer Sydney Pollack was born there July 1, 1934. His parents were Russian/Jewish immigrants, and they didn’t stay in Lafayette all that long. But just being able to imagine the urbane, sophisticated Pollack running around in short pants there has always made me really happy.
That sense of connection has led me to linger over his films with more alacrity than I might normally have for a filmmaker seldom thought of as an innovator. As Roger Ebert wrote in his obituary for Pollack in 2008, “To mention the titles of some of his films is to stir smiles, affection, nostalgia, respect.” Pollack acknowledged not being the most avant-garde director, commenting that “My strength is with actors. I think I’m good at working with them to get the best performances, at seeing what it is that they have and that the story needs.”
His films attest to this, though I think he undersells how good his framing is of scenes and situations. He reminds me of a less-aggressive Soderbergh, who is so good at visual narrative we forget about the filmmaking. I’ve been contemplating a biography of him, but have been unsure whether it would be desired, and whether I’m capable of writing it.
So let’s take a look at his career. In his long list of films as a director are “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” “Out of Africa,” “Three Days of the Condor,” “Yakuza,” “Jeremiah Johnson,” and probably my favorite, “Tootsie.” There are many more, especially those in which he acted. I love him onscreen and he’s always terrific.
Here’s his filmography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_directed_by_Sydney_Pollack
Curious what you all think about his work.
Medium Cool with BGinCHI – Fascinated by Sydney PollackPost + Comments (123)