David Lean
Birth Name:
David Lean
Birth Place:
Croydon, Surrey, United Kingdom
Profession
Director, Editor, Writer, Actor, Producer, Assistant director
Fast Facts
- The American Film Institute presented him with its Life Achievement Award in 1990, making him one of only three non-Americans to win the award
- Worked as an apprentice at his father's chartered accountancy firm as a teenager, but the job bored him and he sought a job with Gaumont Studios, where he started as a teaboy with no pay and quickly became a third assistant director
- Quote: "Film is a dramatized reality and it is the director's job to make it appear real․․․ an audience should not be conscious of technique․"
- Many of his films, including his acclaimed historical epics, are often set in a distinct time and place and explore opposing cultures and viewpoints
- Relies greatly on natural light and almost always keeps the horizon in view in his shots
- His tendency toward being a perfectionist sometimes irked his cast and crew
- Gave filmmaker Steven Spielberg a live director's commentary during a screening of "Lawrence of Arabia" which Spielberg claims influenced all of his work from that point on
Awards
- 1942NYFCC Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1944Silver Condor - Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera):Winner
- 1946Grand Prize of the Festival - Feature Film:Winner
- 1947Oscar - Best Writing, Screenplay:Nominated
- 1947Oscar - Best Director:Nominated
- 1948Oscar - Best Writing, Screenplay:Nominated
- 1948Oscar - Best Director:Nominated
- 1948Grand International AwardNominated
- 1949Grand Prize of the FestivalNominated
- 1952NBR Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1952NYFCC Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1954Golden Berlin Bear - Competition:Winner
- 1955BAFTA Film Award - Best British Screenplay:Nominated
- 1955NYFCC Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1956Oscar - Best Director:Nominated
- 1957NBR Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1957NYFCC Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1958Oscar - Best Director:Winner
- 1958DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures:Winner
- 1958Golden Globe - Best Director:Winner
- 1962NBR Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1963Oscar - Best Director:Winner
- 1963DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures:Winner
- 1963Golden Globe - Best Director:Winner
- 1964Silver Ribbon - Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero):Winner
- 1964Kinema Junpo Award - Best Foreign Language Film:Winner
- 1965NYFCC Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1966Oscar - Best Director:Nominated
- 1966Palme d'OrNominated
- 1966Golden Globe - Best Director:Winner
- 1967BAFTA Film Award - Best Film from any Source:Nominated
- 1967David - Best Foreign Director (Migliore Regista Straniero):Winner
- 1971BAFTA Film Award - Best Direction:Nominated
- 1971DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures:Nominated
- 1972Kinema Junpo Award - Best Foreign Language Film:Nominated
- 1974Evening Standard British Film Award - Best Film:Winner
- 1984KCFCC Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1984NBR Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1984NYFCC Award - Best Director:Winner
- 1985Oscar - Best Film Editing:Nominated
- 1985Oscar - Best Director:Nominated
- 1985Oscar - Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium:Nominated
- 1985DGA Award - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures:Nominated
- 1985Golden Globe - Best Screenplay - Motion Picture:Nominated
- 1985Golden Globe - Best Director - Motion Picture:Nominated
- 1985NSFC Award - Best Director:Nominated
- 1985WGA Award (Screen) - Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium:Nominated
- 1986Honorable Mention - Best Foreign Film:Winner
- 1986BAFTA Film Award - Best Film:Nominated
- 1986BAFTA Film Award - Best Screenplay - Adapted:Nominated
- 1996Retro Hugo - Best Dramatic Presentation:Nominated
- 2005Felix - Best Adapted Screenplay:Nominated