On Directing Film

On Directing Film

Author	David Mamet
Country	United States
Language	English
Subject	Cinema
Publisher	Penguin Books
Publication date	1991
ISBN	0-670-83033-X
OCLC	22178971
Dewey Decimal	791.43/0233 20
LC Class	PN1995.9.P7 M28 1991

On Directing Film is a non-fiction book by American playwright and filmmaker David Mamet (ISBN 0-670-83033-X) published in 1991.

Overview[]

The book is made up of six chapters, of which the second and fifth take the form of dialogue between Mamet and unnamed students, reflecting that the book was based on classes in film directing held by Mamet at Columbia University's film school. Mamet takes a strong oppositional view to mainstream American filmmaking, method acting, and general indulgence in art. He cites as his major influence Sergei Eisenstein and his montage theory, and makes numerous references to the work of Russian theatre director and theorist Stanislavsky.

v t David Mamet
Plays written	The Duck Variations Sexual Perversity in Chicago Squirrels American Buffalo Reunion The Water Engine A Life in the Theatre The Woods Lakeboat Edmond The Frog Prince Glengarry Glen Ross Vint The Shawl Speed-the-Plow Bobby Gould in Hell Oleanna The Cryptogram Boston Marriage Faustus Romance November Race The Anarchist China Doll The Penitent Bitter Wheat The Christopher Boy's Communion
Films written only	A Life in the Theatre (1979) The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981) The Verdict (1982) The Untouchables (1987) We're No Angels (1989) Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) Hoffa (1992) The Water Engine (1992) A Life in the Theatre (1993) American Buffalo (1996) The Edge (1997) Wag the Dog (1997) Ronin (1998) Lansky (1999) Lakeboat (2000) Hannibal (2001) Edmond (2005)
Films written and directed	House of Games (1987) Things Change (1988) Homicide (1991) Oleanna (1994) The Spanish Prisoner (1997) The Winslow Boy (1999) State and Main (2000) Heist (2001) Spartan (2004) Redbelt (2008) Lost Masterpieces of Pornography (2010) Phil Spector (2013)
Books written	On Directing Film (1991) Three Uses of the Knife (1998) True and False: Heresy and Common Sense for the Actor (1999) The Wicked Son (2006)
TV series created	The Unit (2006–2009)
Family	Rebecca Pidgeon Lindsay Crouse Zosia Mamet Clara Mamet Lynn Mamet

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