Sidney Lumet's death this past Saturday (April 9th) at the age of 86 marks the passing of one of the great film makers of this or any era. Long before Woody Allen, Spike Lee, and Martin Scorsese made the city of New York characters in their movies, Lumet claimed the Big Apple for his own and that is why it's fitting that Allen and Scorsese were the first to pay their respects to the man who inspired them in papers this past week. If only Washington were lucky enough to carry the mark of even one filmmaker of one of those names.
Despite being highly regarded by his peers as one of the best directors in the business, Sidney Lumet never achieved Woody Allen or Marty Scorsese's brand recognition. The amount of attention his death garnered pales in comparison to the press generated by Liz Taylor's death the week before. Part of the reason is because Lumet worked in a number of genres and had an unassuming style. Still, that doesn't mean he wasn't responsible for some great films.
After a career in live television, he enjoyed a film career that spanned from 1957 to 2007: Exactly fifty years.
His very first film, "12 Angry Men", was nominated for an Oscar and is considered a classic today. The film is techincally a very simple one. It takes place over the course of an afternoon in a single room as a twelve jury members decide on the fate of a Hispanic boy accused of murder. For it's stark minimalist bearings, there's no shortage of tension or drama. A film that cuts to the heart of the strengths and failings of our justice system, it should be mandatory watching for every government class and if you already saw it in government class, it should be watched again because it definitely holds up on second viewing.
When the American Film Institute rereleased their top 100 films in 2007, "12 Angry Men" made the list. Lumet's other entry on that list, "Network," is also a must-see.
Released in 1976, the film is an eerie foreshadowing of today’s media landscape. News anchor Howard Beale (Peter Finch) announces on the air that because he will soon be fired, he plans to commit suicide on the air. The veteran head of the network’s news department (William Holden) wants the man to get treatment, but he is soon overruled and ousted by the greedier new wave of executives (Robert Duvall, Faye Dunaway and Ned Beatty) who want to exploit him for ratings. Convinced he’s channeling God. Beale becomes somewhat of a profit and the morally-straight former news department head watches helplessly as the situation grows out of control.
The film is considered a classic today for many reasons. For its endlessly quotable lines, it’s screenplay, written by legendary three-time Oscar winning scribe Paddy Chayefsky, is considered something of a treasure. Additionally, the acting is through the roof. Ned Beatty got nominated for a one-scene performance as the network head, who attempts to emulate whatever god Beale believes he is in contact with by giving a thundering sermon to him about the absoluteness of money. Beatrice Straight also gave a (slightly more than) one-scene performance as Holden’s estranged wife and walked away with an Oscar for just six minutes of screen time. The film got a record-tying five Oscar nominations in all with Straight, Dunaway and Finch going on to win Oscars.
Other great Sidney Lumet films include "The Pawnbroker," "Q & A," "Prince of the City," "Serpico," "Murder on the Orient Express," "Fail Safe," and "Dog Day Afternoon."
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