The film world suffered an incredible loss this morning, when director Sidney Lumet passed away at his home in Manhattan.
He has had an indelible effect on the world of filmmaking and has inspired me personally on a consistent basis for most of my life. (In fact, I was even quoting some of his movies in an article I wrote just yesterday.)
Everyone has seen a Sidney Lumet picture. His first film, 12 Angry Men, seems to be required viewing in middle schools across the country and no one could ever forget Henry Fonda’s riveting performance in that film.
Perhaps his best streak was in the 70s, where in a row he knocked out of the park movies like Serpico, Network, and Dog Day Afternoon. Each of those three movies is a masterpiece, each with its own unique visual style and direction, each mostly flawless. And in the 80s he hit us with one of Paul Newman’s best performances with The Verdict.
For his incredible contributions to cinema (despite having directed The WIz) he was given an honorary Oscar in 2005, and then went on in 2007 to direct one of his best films, Before the Devil Knows Your’re Dead, starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Ethan Hawke, and a mostly naked Marisa Tomei.
As someone who purports to be a filmmaker, I can safely say that Sidney Lumet was one of my favorite filmmakers and I have learned so much from him and his films. I must have read through his book, Making Movies, a dozen times for its enlightening perspective. And his films call to be watched over and over again. Sure, he wasn’t as consistent a director through his career as, say Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg or Alfred Hitchcock, but he was consistently ambitious and knew how to tell a story.
I’m very sorry to hear of his death. Though he was 86, I was still hoping to see more from him. But thankfully we still have so much incredible work he left behind.
His films have always held a special place on my shelf and in my heart, and I’m going to retreat there and watch some of his films to honor and remember him.
I’ll leave you with one of my favorite scenes from one of his best films: