Nicolas Roeg (1928-2018)

Nicolas ROEG

* 15.08.1928, London, England, GB † 23.11.2018, London, England, GB

Chefkameramann (BSC), Regisseur * (nach dem Militärdienst / National service) findet 1947 eine Anstellung in den Marylebone Studios in London * lernt sein Handwerk von der Pike auf und arbeitet sich im Laufe der Dekade vom focus puller zum camera operator (The Trials of Oscar Wilde, 1960) hoch * Anfang der 60er Jahre steigt zum Chefkameramann auf und fotografiert in folgenden vier, fünf Jahren kleinere Produktionen, oft Musikfilme und Komödien (Every Day's a Holiday, 1964) * 1965-67 führt die Kamera bei vier Filmen bekannter Regisseure (Richard Lester, François Truffaut und John Schlesinger) und wechselt anschließend ins Regiefach (eigenständiges Debüt mit Walkabout, 1969) * 1973 feiert den internationalen Durchbruch mit Don't Look Now ("In many ways it was the epitome of Roeg's style: the disdain for storyboards; the love of improvisation and a jigsaw of images. /.../ Don't Look Now was the highest point in Roeg's career although he went on to make many more films." BBC, 2018) und arbeitet bis zum Karriereende ausschließlich als Regisseur ("At the peak of his form he is one of Britain's most adventurous directors." Neil Sinyard: Reference Guide to British and Irish Film Directors) * ab Ende der 80er Jahre inszeniert auch sporadisch TV-Produktionen (Sweet Bird of Youth, 1989; Samson and Delilah, 1996) * 2006 beendet seine Laufbahn mit dem Psychothriller Puffball * 2013 veröffentlicht seine Memoiren (The World Is Ever Changing) * (seit 1996) Commander of the Order of the British Empire * verheiratet mit Susan Stephen (1. Ehefrau, 1957-77) und Theresa Russell (2. Ehefrau, 1982?86-?)

"I can't think how anyone can become a director without learning the craft of cinematography. I was very glad later when I was directing that I wasn't in the hands of a cinematographer and hoping that he would do it well. I would know what he was doing, and we could discuss how that scene would look. It was just lucky in a way that I didn't go to film school and just learned all this on the floor."

"Some people are very lucky, and have the story in their heads. I've never storyboarded anything. I like the idea of chance. What makes God laugh is people who make plans."

"I've been told my movies are difficult to market. It isn't a horror film, it isn't a thriller. Yes, there's a love story in it but it could hardly be called a romance. People love things in boxes, classified a genre. But it's just life. Life and birth and sex and love - they don't necessarily all go together."

FILMS (as cinematographer)

Information Received (Scotland Yard hört mit, 1959-GB; R: Robert Lynn, B: Paul Ryder, K: Nicolas Roeg, M: Martin Slavin, D: Sabine Sesselmann: Sabina Farlow * William Sylvester: Rick Hogan, Hermione Baddeley: Maudie, Edward Underdown: Drake) 77m-Krimi (6108)

Band of Thieves (1962-GB; R: Peter Bezencenet, B: Lyn Fairhurst, K: Nicolas Roeg, M: Norrie Paramor, Acker Bilk, D: Acker Bilk: er selbst, Colin Smith: Flash, Jonathan Mortimer: Fingers) 69m-Musikfilm (6208)

Dr Crippen (Dr. Crippen, 1962-GB; R: Robert Lynn, B: Leigh Vance, K: Nick/Nicolas Roeg, ML: Ken Jones, D: Donald Pleasence: Dr. Hawley [Peter] Crippen * Coral Browne: Belle Elmore * Samantha Eggar: Ethel Le Neve * Donald Wolfit: R.D. Muir, James Robertson Justice: Captain McKenzie) 98m-Krimidrama (09-?; 6308)

Just for Fun (1963-GB; R: Gordon Flemyng, B: Milton Subotsky, K: Nicolas Roeg, MS: Franklyn Boyd, D: Bobby Vee: er selbst ° The Crickets: sie selbst ° Freddie Cannon: er selbst ° Johnny Tillotson: er selbst ° Ketty Lester: sie selbst ° The Tornados: sie selbst) 85m-Musikfilm (6302)

The Caretaker (Der Hausmeister, 1963-GB; R: Clive Donner, B: Harold Pinter, K: Nicolas Roeg, M [effects scored by]: Ron Grainer, D: Alan Bates: Mick ° Donald Pleasence: Davies ° Robert Shaw: Aston) 103m-Drama (Bühnenstück von Harold Pinter, 1960) (6306 | 6403, London)

Nothing but the Best (Man geht wieder über Leichen, 1963-GB; R: Clive Donner, B: Frederic Raphael, K: Nicolas Roeg, M: Ron Grainer, D: Alan Bates: Jimmy Brewster, Denholm Elliott: Charlie Prince, Harry Andrews: Mr. Horton, Millicent Martin: Ann Horton) 97m-Komödie (Kurzgeschichte The Best of Everything von Stanley Ellin, 1952) (6403)

The System (1963-GB; R: Michael Winner, B: Peter Draper, K: Nicolas Roeg, M: Stanley Black, D: Oliver Reed: Tinker ° Jane Merrow: Nicola ° Barbara Ferris: Suzy ° Harry Andrews: Larsey ° Julia Foster: Lorna) 90m-Komödie (08-?; 6409)

The Masque of the Red Death (1963-GB * Roger Corman) (Kurzgeschichte von Edgar Allan Poe) (11-12; 6406)

Victim Five (1964-GB * Robert Lynn) (01-02; 6407-D)

Every Day's a Holiday (Jeder Tag ein Urlaubstag, 1964-GB; R: James Hill, B: Anthony Marriott, Jeri Matos, James Hill, K: Nicolas Roeg, MA: Tony Osborne, D: John Leyton: Gerry Pullman * Mike Sarne: Tim Gilpin * Freddie and the Dreamers: The Chefs. Ron Moody: Prof. Bastinado, Liz Fraser: Miss Slightly) 94m-Musikkomödie (05-?; 6501)

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Toll trieben es die alten Römer, 1965-USA; R: Richard Lester, B: Melvin Frank, Michael Pertwee, K: Nicolas Roeg, ML: Ken Thorne, D: Zero Mostel: Pseudolus * Phil Silvers: Marcus Lycus * Jack Gilford: Hysterium * Buster Keaton: Erronius, Michael Crawford: Hero, Michael Hordern: Senex) 99m-Parodie (Musical, 1962) (09-11; 6610)

Fahrenheit 451 (1966-GB * François Truffaut) (Roman von Ray Bradbury) (01-04; 6609)

Far from the Madding Crowd (Die Herrin von Thornhill, 1966/67-GB; R: John Schlesinger, B: Frederic Raphael, K: Nicolas Roeg, M: Richard Rodney Bennett, D: Julie Christie: Bathsheba Everdene * Terence Stamp: Sergeant Frank Troy * Peter Finch: William Boldwood * Alan Bates: Gabriel Oak) 175m-Drama (Roman von Thomas Hardy, 1874) (08-02; 6710)

Petulia (Petulia, 1967-USA/GB; R: Richard Lester, B: Lawrence B. Marcus; Barbara Turner, K: Nicolas Roeg, M: John Barry, D: Julie Christie: Petulia Danner * George C. Scott: Archie Bollen, Richard Chamberlain: David Danner, Arthur Hill: Barney, Shirley Knight: Polo & Joseph Cotten: Mr. Danner) 105m-Liebesdrama (Roman Me and the Arch Kook Petulia von John Haase, 1966) (04-06; 6806)

Performance (Performance, 1968-GB; R: Donald Cammell, Nicolas Roeg, B: Donald Cammell, K: Nicolas Roeg, M: Jack Nitzsche, D: James Fox: Chas ° Mick Jagger: Turner ° Anita Pallenberg: Pherber ° Michèle Breton: Lucy) 105m-Krimidrama (02-05 + 09-10; 7008-USA | 7101-GB)

Walkabout (Walkabout * Der Traum vom Leben, 1969-AUS; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Edward Bond, K: Nicolas Roeg, M: John Barry, D: Jenny Agutter: Mädchen ° Lucien John [=Luc Roeg]: weißer Junge ° David Gulpilil: Aborigine) 100m-Drama (Roman von James Vance Marshall, 1959) (08-3,5?4 Monate; 7110)

FILMS (as director)

Don't Look Now (1972/73-GB/I) (Erzählung von Daphne du Maurier) (7310)

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1975-GB) (Roman von Walter Tevis) (7603)

Bad Timing (Black Out - Anatomie einer Leidenschaft, 1979-GB; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Yale Udoff, K: Anthony B. Richmond, M: Richard Hartley, D: Art Garfunkel: Alex Linden * Theresa Russell: Milena Flaherty * Harvey Keitel: Inspector Netusil * Denholm Elliott: Stefan Vognic) 123/9m-Liebesdrama (03-06; 8004)

Eureka (Eureka, 1982-GB; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Paul Mayersberg, K: Alex Thomson, M: Stanley Myers, D: Gene Hackman: Jack McCann, Rutger Hauer: Claude Maillot van Horn, Theresa Russell: Tracy, Mickey Rourke: Aurelio D'Amato, Joe Pesci: Mayakofsky) 130m-Drama (Buch Who Killed Sir Harry Oakes? von Marshall Houts, 1976) (01-5 Monate; 8305)

Insignificance (1984-GB) (8506)

Castaway (Castaway - Die Insel, 1986-GB; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Allan Scott, K: Harvey Harrison, M: Stanley Myers, D: Oliver Reed: Gerald Kingsland * Amanda Donohoe: Lucy Irvine) 117m-Drama (Buch von Lucy Irvine, 1983) (04-?; 8702)

Aria (Aria, 1986/87-GB > Erstes Segment: R+B: Nicolas Roeg, K: Harvey Harrison, D: Theresa Russell: King Zog) 98m-Episodenfilm (08-03; 8803)

Track 29 (Track 29 - Ein gefährliches Spiel, 1987-GB; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Dennis Potter, K: Alex Thomson, M: Stanley Myers, D: Theresa Russell: Linda Henry ° Gary Oldman: Martin, Colleen Camp: Arlanda, Sandra Bernhard: Nurse Stein, Seymour Cassel: Dr. Bernard Fairmont & Christopher Lloyd: Henry Henry) 91m-Psychodrama (05-06; 8808)

The Witches (Hexen hexen, 1988-USA; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Allan Scott, K: Harvey Harrison, M: Stanley Myers, D: Anjelica Huston: Miss Ernst/Oberhexe, Mai Zetterling: Helga) 91m-Abenteuerkomödie (Buch von Roald Dahl, 1983) (04-08; 9002/9008)

Cold Heaven (Cold Heaven, 1989-USA; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Allan Scott, K: Francis Kenny, M: Stanley Myers, D: Theresa Russell: Marie Davenport, James Russo: Daniel Corvin, Will Patton: Pater Niles, Richard Bradford: Monsignore Cassidy, Julie Carmen: Anna Corvin, Talia Shire: Schwester Martha & Mark Harmon: Alex Davenport) 105m-Thriller/drama (Roman von Brian Moore, 1983) (09-11; 9205)

Two Deaths (1994-GB; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Allan Scott, K: Witold Stok, M: Hans Zimmer, D: Michael Gambon: Daniel Pavenic ° Sônia Braga: Ana Puscasu, Patrick Malahide: George Bucsan, Nickolas Grace: Marius Vernescu, Ion Caramitru: Carl Dalakis) 103m-Drama (Roman The Two Deaths of Senora Puccini von Stephen Dobyns, 1988) (05-06; 9606)

Full Body Massage (1995-USA; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Dan Gurskis, K: Anthony B. Richmond, M: Harry Gregson-Williams, D: Mimi Rogers: Nina * Bryan Brown: Fitch) 93m-Erotikdrama (04-05) > TVM (R # 34359; 9511)

Puffball (Puffball, 2006-IRL/CDN/GB; R: Nicolas Roeg, B: Dan Weldon, K: Nigel Willoughby, M: Chris Crilly, Delphine Measroch, Thierry Gauthier, D: Kelly Reilly: Liffey Lambert ° Miranda Richardson: Mabs ° Rita Tushingham: Molly ° Donald Sutherland: Lars) 120m-Psychothriller (Roman von Fay Weldon, 1980) (02-?; 0710)

AWARDS

London Critics Circle Film Award (Regisseur des Jahres) für Bad Timing (1981)

British Film Institute Fellowship (1994)

Lifetime Achievement Award [British Independent Film Awards 1999]

Dilys Powell Award [London Critics Circle Film Awards 2012]

BOOK

book cover Nicolas Roeg: The World Is Ever Changing. London: Faber and Faber, 2013

Nicolas Roeg is one of the most distinctive and influential film-makers of his generation. The generation of film-makers who define contemporary movie-making - Danny Boyle, Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland), Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight), James Marsh (Man on Wire), and Guillermo Del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth), all acknowledge their debt to the work of Nicolas Roeg. Roeg began as a cameraman, working for such masters as Francois Truffaut and David Lean. His explosive debut as a director with Performance, established an approach to film-making that was unconventional and ever-changing, creating works such as Don't Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Bad Timing, Insignificance, and, more recently, Puffball. Having now reached eighty years of age, Roeg has decided to pass on to the next generations, the wealth of wisdom and experience he has garnered over fifty years of film-making. * V, 247 S. : Ill.