Considered by some to be one of the crowning achievements of
‘direct cinema’ in the 1960s. Richard
Leacock was one of the founding members of the genre, along with his colleagues
D.A. Pennebaker and Albert Maysles.
Since he didn’t profile famous people as much as his brethren did, his
films aren’t quite as well known. Here –
with only a sound person along and himself on camera – Leacock creates an intimate
sketch of Igor Stravinsky, probably the most famous composer in the world at
that time, as he rehearses with an orchestra, is interviewed by the press, and
converses with friends. Despite his
advanced years, he comes off as sharp and completely charming, as when he
contradicts a reporter’s question about his age by saying that he is only old
in the observer’s eyes; in his own mind he is as young as ever. Leacock’s style is a slight departure from
rigid ‘direct cinema’ rules – (used by Pennebaker and Wiseman) – in its use of
a casual narration – by Leacock himself – to describe where we are and who
we’re watching.
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