William Friedkin (1935 – 2023)

[Jeff Bernstein]

This subject drew me out of retirement. William Friedkin is dead. The loss reminds us of so much more than the loss. The loss reminds us of the Lost. Soon the world Friedkin represented will be scoured completely clean from society. Only a few remain who know of the subtlety of this past. Reader, envision a future time in which the world you lived though will be forever safeguarded by first-grade-level Internet-speak (e.g., the mass media). We mourn a World as well as a man.

 

For all an Artist’s failures, one beautiful work leads to Storytelling immortality. Twelve losing seasons, so what? Once you’ve won a Super Bowl, you’ve won it forever. One is all it takes.

 

We must begin to count now. The French Connection (1971), groundbreaking in so many ways, from casting to camerawork to etc. The Exorcist (1973), an audience phenomenon equivalent in unspeakableness to the present Oppenheimer phenomenon. Sorcerer (1977), a first-rate movie that had the bad luck to be released a week before Star Wars (and recently cited in Licorice Pizza). (In 2017 Stephen King called Sorcerer “My favorite film of all time.”) To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), a remarkable exhibition of storytelling, from the wondrous lensing to—again, the casting—to the surprise ending thereafter indelible in the mind (and cited in Burn After Reading). And so on, depending on the Spectator.

 

What joins these films together is the Storyteller’s hell-bent fury to get the Vision onto the screen. (“I don’t care if it kills me. I don’t care if it kills you.”) Those who were once as passionate as he, have mellowed with age; now only a few authentic artists are producing on earth.

 

It’s a rare Storyteller who, insane with art, shoots at top speed down a busy city road, wholly illegally, threatening everyone inside the car and out, including the Storyteller, with death—to get the shot.

 

Only an Artist sacrificing everything reaches the first-rate.

 

That’s over now.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 9, 2023 by Jeff Bernstein

[Daniel D. Teoli Jr.]

"Soon the world Friedkin represented will be scoured completely clean from society. Only a few remain who know of the subtlety of this past."

Spell it out.

Here is what the I.A. has on him...

Internet Archive: Digital Library of Free & Borrowable Books, Movies, Music & Wayback Machine

No photos though. 

Here are some photos on Google.

William Friedkin - Google Search

He must have had a great archive. He may have left it to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures or some other institution. Point is we will never see much or any of it. Once institutions get things, it is like the last scene of the warehouse in Raiders of the Lost Ark. 

I was interviewing some guy a few months ago via email. He must have died mid-interview. I found a film newsreel on Piper Laurie. I noticed the I.A. has no photos of her. I wrote her to see if she would contribute some photos or let me scan some if she didn't want to bother...nothing.

People don't think about archiving their work...one day you just don't wake up and all that history is gone!

https://archive.org/download/mike-wallace-cbs-press-photo-1992-d.-d.-teoli-jr.-a.-c.-1/Mike Wallace CBS press photo 1992 D.D.Teoli Jr. A.C. (1).jpg

DDTJRAC

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Daniel D. Teoli Jr.

[Gregory Irwin]

I did four pictures with Billy. He was a one of a kind to be sure. Great director and very disciplined. He was tough on everyone!

G

[Dan Hasson]

On 8/11/2023 at 7:32 PM, Gregory Irwin said:

I did four pictures with Billy. He was a one of a kind to be sure. Great director and very disciplined. He was tough on everyone!

G

Out of interest, what films did you work with him on?

What was his relationship like as a director with the camera department?

[Gregory Irwin]

On 8/14/2023 at 4:14 AM, Dan Hasson said:

Out of interest, what films did you work with him on?

What was his relationship like as a director with the camera department?

I did

To Live and Die in LA

Rules of Engagement 

Bluechips

and one that never got released and I can’t remember the name of it. He truly relied on the camera department but also had very high expectations and never gave us a break. He had zero tolerance for someone not paying attention or doing their job at the highest level. He had this thing about calling “Action”. He would never say it so it was always a guessing game as to when to roll the camera. We worked under extreme pressure. That’s for sure!!

G

Edited August 15, 2023 by Gregory Irwin

[David Mullen ASC]

I know an AC who worked for DP Nicola Pecorini on it before William Fraker was brought in, but I thought there was a third DP also, maybe as an interim? Maybe there was only the two listed.

[Abdul Rahman Jamous]

12 hours ago, Gregory Irwin said:

 He had this thing about calling “Action”. He would never say it so it was always a guessing game as to when to roll the camera. 

well,,, I can handle pressure and being in  tough conditions, when I am on set I always try to pay 100% of my attention to what is going on.. but this sort of guessing games is something I simply can't handle.

 

I know some would judge me for what I am about to say... but if you want me to do my job perfectly at least give me clear orders and give me what sort of workflow suits you the most. 

hopefully the DPs were kinder to you.

Edited August 16, 2023 by Abdul Rahman Jamous

[Abdul Rahman Jamous]

Thank God the film making industry in Saudi Arabia has a very friendly environment... once the camera starts rolling everyone act in accordance to his/her place. but when we for example setting the lighting.. or waiting for the talent to get ready. we act like friends.

 

I remember once I was sitting on a chaire cleaning my slate, I noticed the director approaching so I immediately stood up and offered him my seat, but he insisted that I sit on the chair while he sat on the ground.

 

 

yes it's good to be tough... but when you are kind  and nice you make the crew more devoted to you as a person and to the project.

of course I worksd with rude people,  but thank goodness they are the minority.

[Dan Hasson]

12 hours ago, Gregory Irwin said:

I did

To Live and Die in LA

Rules of Engagement 

Bluechips

and one that never got released and I can’t remember the name of it. He truly relied on the camera department but also had very high expectations and never gave us a break. He had zero tolerance for someone not paying attention or doing their job at the highest level. He had this thing about calling “Action”. He would never say it so it was always a guessing game as to when to roll the camera. We worked under extreme pressure. That’s for sure!!

G

Thank you for taking the time to answer. Very interesting to hear how he worked! 

[Gregory Irwin]

12 hours ago, David Mullen ASC said:

I know an AC who worked for DP Nicola Pecorini on it before William Fraker was brought in, but I thought there was a third DP also, maybe as an interim? Maybe there was only the two listed.

Jeff Kimball came in late as well David. 

[Ignacio Aguilar]

I read somewhere that Dariusz Wolski was also involved at one point. That film was Friedkin's only picture in anamorphic I think.

[Shawn Martin]

Friedkin mentions Wolski on the DVD commentary, if I remember right.

It is his only anamorphic film, and if I also remember right, the majority of it is Panavision, while the big embassy shooting and the surrounding action (filmed by Pecorini) is Technovision.

[Shawn Martin]

Looks like I am not remembering everything right -

Pecorini's website (https://www.nicolapecorini.com/features/rules-of-engagement.html) does say he shot Technovision, and the clip implies it was at least some of the embassy stuff.

The documentary on the DVD (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3am96v8Itk), which I've seen before but forgot about, has Wolski (according to the slate) filming the embassy stuff, and it looks like that's Panavision too.

Reshoots?

[Gregory Irwin]

On 8/17/2023 at 9:48 AM, Ignacio Aguilar said:

I read somewhere that Dariusz Wolski was also involved at one point. That film was Friedkin's only picture in anamorphic I think.

I had completely forgotten that Derek was there as well! That movie employed a lot of guys! ??‍♂️