Film Books: October, 2017
A Duke and a Dude
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
In October I happily received two new books on three of my favorite
filmmakers (and one of my favorite movie stars). Here are my short
reviews.
Wayne and Ford: The Films, the Friendship, and the Forging of an American Hero
By Nancy Schoenberger
Nan A. Talese/Doubleday
October 24, 2017
$27.95
John Ford is one of my top five favorite directors, and it always
thrills me when I find a fresh article or book about his work. Author
Nancy Schoenberger's Wayne and Ford narrows its focus on the unique
relationship between the poet and the icon, providing just enough
background material to enlighten her remarks. It tells the familiar
story of Wayne's near-rise to stardom in The Big Trail (1930), his
purgatory of "B" movies for nine years, and then his actual rise to
stardom in Stagecoach (1939). The book carries the story through the
Cavalry films, The Searchers, and so on, to its logical end: Wayne's
downfall, and his eventual resurrection with movies like True Grit and
The Shootist. The author describes how Ford shapes Wayne, and how
Wayne's presence affected Ford. Best of all, Schoenberger begins her
book with an explanation that, yes, she is a woman, and that, yes, she
loves Westerns. It's this particular facet that I found most
fascinating, and Schoenberger uses it to her, and our, advantage in this
smart but very readable book.
The Coen Brothers: The Iconic Filmmakers and Their Work (Unofficial and Unauthorised)
By Ian Nathan
Aurum Press
November 9, 2017
$35.00
I once almost interviewed the Coen brothers (a family emergency
called them away), but I have of course heard stories about how
notoriously difficult they are; they simply don't like to speak about
the deeper meanings of things. Author Ian Nathan has interviewed the
Coens, and he spells this out right up front, and bravely goes ahead
anyway. (He amusingly sprinkles their wry, opaque comments throughout
the book.) The Coen Brothers goes chronologically through their career,
beginning with their childhood and homemade movies and their friendship
with Sam Raimi. The book is filled with facts and quotes and lots of
wonderful full-color pictures that bring back many memories. And while
Nathan doesn't offer much personal commentary on the Coens' few
failures, he does posit plausible explanations as to why things just
didn't click. As of 2017, I would already argue that the Coens are a
strong candidate for the best filmmaker(s) working today, but reading
through this book made me appreciate their work even more; it highlights
how disparate their work is, how many settings and time periods and
genres they've tackled, while always remaining true to their own unique
voices.
