Nicolas Roeg

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Nicolas Roeg

Nicolas Roeg at 43rd KVIFF (2008)
Born Nicolas Jack Roeg
15 August 1928 (1928-08-15) (age 80)
London, England
Occupation film director
Spouse(s) Susan Stephen (1957 – 1977)

Theresa Russell (1982 – ? )
Harriet Harper (2004 - pres)

Nicolas Jack Roeg, BSC (born 15 August 1928 in London) is an English film director and cinematographer. Contributing to the visual look of Lawrence of Arabia and Roger Corman's The Masque of the Red Death, and co-directing Performance, he would later become the guiding force behind such landmark films as Walkabout, Don't Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth.

These and his other pictures are known for their use of the cut-up technique, through which a linear narrative is given a new and less conventional meaning. Often, Roeg will photograph his stories in disjunctive and semi-coherent ways that only make full sense in the film's final moments, when a crucial piece of information surfaces. These techniques, and Roeg's uniquely foreboding sense of atmosphere, have greatly influenced later filmmakers such as Ridley Scott and François Ozon. His later films, however, have received a colder reception by critics and the viewing public.[citation needed]

Roeg's influence on cinema is not limited to deconstructing narrative. His exceptionally original approach to editing, combined with his highly individual view of humanity and his remarkable use of music, led to some of film's most memorable and groundbreaking sequences. The quite startling "Memo From Turner" sequence in Performance predates many techniques later used in music videos. The extraordinarily haunting, sensual and emotionally moving lovemaking sequence between Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie in Don't Look Now is one of the most astonishing ever filmed. And the "quadrant" sequence in Bad Timing, in which the thoughts of Theresa Russell and Art Garfunkel are heard before words are spoken, set to Keith Jarrett's exquisite piano music from the Koln Concert, again stretched the boundaries of what could be done with film.

His work was documented at the Riverside Studios, London between 12 and 14 September 2008, showcasing 9 of his films. He introduced the retrospective along with Miranda Richardson who starred in Puffball.

The retrospective included Bad Timing, Puffball, Far from the Madding Crowd, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Witches, Eureka, Don't Look Now and Insignificance. The London Film Academy organised this event for Roeg in honour of his patronage of the school.

Contents

[edit] Personal life

Roeg was married to Susan Stephen between 1957 and 1977. They had four children. After his divorce, he married Theresa Russell in 1982 and they had two children, including actor Max Roeg. Following their divorce, he married Harriet Harper in 2004.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Films as director

[edit] Selected films as cinematographer

[edit] References

  • Nicolas Roeg, Neil Feineman, Boston: Twayne, 1978
  • The Films of Nicolas Roeg: Myth and Mind, John Izod, Basingstoke, Macmillan, 1992
  • Fragile Geometry: The Films, Philosophy and Misadventures of Nicolas Roeg, Joseph Lanza, New York: Paj Publications, 1989.
  • The Films of Nicolas Roeg, Neil Sinyard, London: Letts, 1991

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Films directed by Nicolas Roeg
1960/70s
Performance (1968/1970)  · Walkabout (1971)  · Don't Look Now (1973)  · The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
1980s
Bad Timing (1980)  · Eureka (1984)  · Insignificance (1985)  · Castaway (1986)
1990s
The Witches (1990)  · Full Body Massage (1995)
2000s
Puffball (2007)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Roeg"
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