William Friedkin: Films of Aberration, Obsession and Reality

By Thomas D. Clagett

Book Overview

William Friedkin, Academy Award winning director, has created some of the most contentious and compelling successes and failures in American films. Here is an informed and insightful analysis of all of his work, beginning with his early documentary about a convict on death row, The People Versus Paul Crump (which in real life saved a man from the electric chair), through his 12 feature films. They include the raw yet poignant The Boys in the Band, the white-knuckled pacing of The French Connection, the electrifying horror of The Exorcist, the masterful but flawed Sorcerer, the failed ambiguity of Cruising and his latest, Rampage.Research was supplemented with over 100 interviews with Friedkin and his colleagues.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0899502628
• ISBN13: 9780899502625
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: McFarland Publishing
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 0.8" x 6.5"

Customer Reviews

An obsessed man in Hollywood

This is one of two books on William Friedkin, the other being the out-of-print Hurricane Billy, which is a straight biography. Clagett's work is more academic, but it's one of the better examinations of a director and his work, heavily relying on the thoughts and ideas of the filmmakers (collaborators included). The analysis is done through the filter of the thoughts, ideas, intentions, and inventions of the filmmakers. It chronicles Friedkin's influences and work from his television days right on through to Rules of Engagement (this volume is a revised edition, as the original 1990 one only went to The Guardian). The chapters are smartly broken up into two parts: one is a detailed reading of the film, noting the details and imagery, the other is about the making of the film, with comments from Friedkin himself, the best part of the book, and with the many collaborators and players. The result is a body of work that is consistent with Friedkin's personality and interests, if not consistent in overall quality. This serves as an excellent depiction of a strong personality, an obsessed man, in many ways, and the conflict of directing 'Hollywood' films but with an outlaw element. Friedkin's films do come off as consistent: there is a gritty, cynical attitude, and the endings are not typical--there's hardly a film in Friedkin's catalog that ends happily ever after. Overall, an excellent book. Friedkin comes across loud and clear in this book: obnoxious, intelligent, honest, funny, and a total character who made some excellent films.

William Friedkin : Films of Aberration, Obsession and Realit

I'm looking forward to seeing his new movie "rules of engagement". I have thought him the greatest director in the world for a long time. And this book certify you that I'm not wrong. Now I know his effort of making many famous pictures I already saw, for exanple, The French Connection & The Exorcist. And this book answers my curiosity about his steps of filmmaking from his early days as a TV director to recent day. You'll see that he's not a lucky guy but a talented genius like Spilberg.