David Lean is one of the most famous figures in the British cinema industry. Although the director lived in the period of two world wars, his life was very eventful. His professional activity played a major role in the development of cinema in Great Britain. What contribution did the director make to the country’s film industry and why was he among the most outstanding people in the world? Learn more at london-trend.
ORIGIN, CHILDHOOD AND EDUCATION
David Lean was born in London on March 25, 1908. Usually, the families of famous actors and directors are connected with creative spheres of life. Accordingly, their children can engage in the world of acting ideas from an early age. However, David Lean belonged to a Quaker family. At first, the boy learned at Leighton Park School, which was also founded by Quakers. However, since his childhood, David was a dreamy boy with a good imagination and didn’t like learning. The first impetus to the creative activity was a gift from his uncle. It was a Brownie camera, which remained the main subject of interest for the future director for a long time. Since then, it has become his main hobby.
FIRST STEPS IN PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITY
At the age of 18, David Lean left school and started working in his father’s accounting firm. However, such work was quite boring and monotonous. David didn’t get any pleasure there. However, he spent almost every evening in cinemas. Later, it became his new job. In 1927, he spent a month on probation at Gaumont Studios, where he gained his first practical experience in cinema. At the beginning of his professional activity, David Lean was an editor. Later, he was engaged in editing films. His first step in the director’s career was the 1942 film In Which We Serve. It was followed by This Happy Breed, Blithe Spirit and Brief Encounter. In 1946 and 1948, he shot world-famous screen adaptations of Charles Dickens’s works, namely Great Expectations and Oliver Twist.
FURTHER CAREER AND PERSONAL LIFE
The Passionate Friends appeared on the screens in 1949. This romantic drama not only brought David popularity but also changed his personal life. In the same year, the director married Ann Todd, who played one of the leading roles in this film. By that time, David Lean had already been married twice and even had a son. In general, his personal life was as versatile as his professional one. He was married six times. The film Summertime became a new stage in David’s career development. Even though many of his projects were successful, this romantic comedy was one of David’s favourite ones. Later, the director slowed down the releases, but instead, his films became more popular. That period was characterised by both success and total failure. David Lean won an Oscar twice for his directorial work. However, after the shooting of Ryan’s Daughter in 1970, he stopped his professional activities for fourteen years.
After such a long break, David Lean returned to work with new ideas. In 1984, the world saw A Passage to India, but this successful project was the last one for the director. A lot of his interesting ideas have never been reproduced on the screen. In general, the director almost always received good reviews from critics. David Lean has been awarded several times and remained one of the most famous and influential figures in British cinema.
