Minghella on Minghella

by Timothy Bricknell, Timothy Bricknell

A former playwright with only two movies under his belt, Anthony Minghella took Hollywood by storm in 1996 with The English Patient, a universally lauded epic described by Roger Ebert as "[A] poetic, evocative film . . . told with sweep and visual richness." This robust romance garnered nine Academy Awards, amongst them Best Picture and Best Director. His follow-up, The Talented Mr. Ripley, combined stunning vistas with the masterful suspense of studio-era Hollywood; praised by the New York Times' Janet Maslin as a "hypnotic, sensually charged adaptation," the film also found the attention of the Academy, receiving five nominations. With yet another ambitious adaptation creating tremendous buzz--Charles Frazier's best-selling Cold Mountain--Minghella is well on his way to becoming one of the most respected directors of the decade.

A thorough craftsman painstakingly involved with each step of the moviemaking process, Minghella here shares knowledge gleaned from years of experience as a musician and writer for the theater. Praised for his ability to adapt the psychological density of the novel to the silver screen, he discusses the screenwriting process at length, imparting valuable lessons regarding pacing and narrative with a refreshing perspective as unique as the characters that pass before his lens.

Genres: Film

Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[Perre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Minghella on Minghella is a book I recommend to anyone interested in the creative process from the vantage of one of the most brilliant and natively gifted filmmakers of this generation. The book is not written by Minghella, but it has the breadth of an easy-to read autobiography because it's made up of interviews with and essays by Anthony Minghella throughout his career from young playwright to a writer for British television to finally a Hollywood writer, director and producer.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the Jerry Lewis book I read earlier in the year, this is just one of the best books about moviemaking I've read, not just this year but ever, if I ever do get to make my own movie I will have these on me at all times for advice. I've been listening to his commentaries on his movies alongside it too, and though he left us way too soon, god he left behind so much, not just the movies but all that he learned making them. Can't wait to watch the movies again too now.

(I read the darker covered original Faber and Faber edition, which is listed here but doesn't have a pretty picture for my reading challenge page lol)

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quality Rating: Four Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Four Stars

And so begins my required reading for university: a lot more enjoyable than I expected it to be. Unknown to me, Minghella has actually been one of my favourite directors for a few years now after watching The Talented Mr Ripley. I've never seen anything else he's either written or directed, but I definitely have a reason to now. In his conversational but thoughtful way of writing, Minghella goes through pretty much every area of the film industry and his positive and negative experiences as a part of it. On top of that, he also expresses his judgement on the industry - it's not really a happy place, but can be insanely fulfilling - and quite a few times I found his words resonating with me. It helps that I agree with him on most of the subjects he talks about, but regardless the clear passion in what he does comes across well.

[Liza · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a wonderful insight into the world of making film and the creative process. Mr. Minghella was very real and down to earth. He expressed himself with great openness and humor. It was a very enjoyable read.