Film Directors

A roundtable discussion with Tarantino, David O Russell, Ang Lee, Gus Van Sant, Tom Hooper, and Ben Affleck.

At one point they discuss how to keep sane as a movie director.  It strikes me, the key to being a good director is to be both sane and insane at the same time.  This might be the greatest challenge to being a filmmaker and why the job is so difficult, to be able to find the balance of sanity and insanity.  No completely sane person could be a good filmmaker, just like no sane person could be a good football player.  A little insanity is needed.  But no insane person could possibly organize and run a film shoot, much less have the discipline needed to complete a script, develop a vision for a film, sell the money people, wrangle and convince the cast and crew, etc.

Also, they discuss Tarantino's position that he will stop making films after 10.  At first, his position comes across as a bit childish, but he articulates it rather well -- he wants all of his films to be worth seeing -- his list is incredibly important because he is making his films for the 14 year old kid who discovers his work 20 years after he is dead and he wants to feel confident that kid can go to any of his movies and be satisfied by watching them.  He says "Deathproof HAS to be my worst movie."

There is something to be said for this.