David Lean

Oscar-winning director David Lean was responsible for some of the most enduring images in British cinema, including the romantic clinches between Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson in Brief Encounter and Pip's memorable dash across the marshes in Great expectations. Lean became renowned for his visual epics, painting the cinematic screen in such films as The Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. Yet, despite the large canvas of these masterpieces, Lean never lost sight of the human story within them. In his study of Lean's career, Howard Maxford takes behind-the-scenes look at each of the director's films, chronicling their making and their subsequent reception by both audiences and critics. Lean's early work as a film editor, which led to his comission by Noel Coward to co-direct the landmark war drama In Which We Serve, is examined, along with Lean's self-imposed 14-year exile after a savage reception from critics to his penultimate film. His exile ended thriumphantly with the release of a Passage to India. Lean, the man away from the camera, is also revealed, including his six marriages and his strict Quaker upbringing. An informative critical guide, this David Lean companion offers a detailed examination of the work of one of cinema's true greats.