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هیچ‌کس کامل نیست: زندگینامه‌ی شخصی بیلی وایلدر

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Billy Wilder (1906-2002) was one of the legendary figures in 20th-century film. When he died recently, he left behind an incredible celluloid legacy. Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, Double Indemnity, The Apartment, The Lost Weekend, Sabrina and other Wilder films have become a part of our shared experience and collective memory. In Nobody's Perfect, Billy Wilder speaks for himself, in what is as close to an autobiography as there ever will be. Charlotte Chandler, author of authorized bios on Groucho Marx and Federico Fellini, met Wilder in the mid-1970s and began a friendship that continued until his death. Over the course of more than 20 years, she interviewed not only Wilder, but many of the actors and other creative people who worked with him. The result is this remarkable book, a very personal look at one of filmdom's true creative geniuses. In a life as dramatic as his films, Wilder survived World War I and escaped the Holocaust. His great gift as a screenwriter soon became apparent, as did his easy rapport with actors. As a writer-director, he worked with such stars as Greta Garbo, William Holden, Tony Curtis, Barbara Stanwyck, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers, Gloria Swanson, Audrey Hepburn, Gary Cooper, James Cagney, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Marilyn Monroe - most of whom were interviewed for this book. This revealing and vastly entertaining book is a wonderful, timely tribute to this great writer-director, a legacy of Wilder's wit, insight and remarkable wisdom.

436 pages, Hardcover

First published October 22, 2002

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Charlotte Chandler

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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for E.
27 reviews83 followers
December 12, 2015
می گویند بیلی وایلدر کبیر برسردر اتاق خود نوشته بود :«اگر لوییچ بود چه می کرد؟» اما، به نظرم، حالا کارگردانان زیادی هستند و خواهند بود که می نویسند:« اگر بیلی وایلدر بود چه می کرد؟» همیشه از شیفتگان سینمای وایلدر بوده ام و وقتی کتاب گفتگو با کمرون کرو را خواندم، علاقه ام به این مرد افسانه ای ده برابر شد.
کتاب «هیچکس کامل نیست» را جزو بهترین کتابهایی که تابحال خوانده ام قرار خواهم داد؛ چراکه هم زندگی یک کارگردان خیلی تاثیرگذار است، هم زندگی یک انسان بزرگ است، هم سفری شگفت انگیز است به کارنامه ای بسیار بسیار درخشان. کارنامه ای آنقدر درخشان که هیچ کارگردانی در جهان نمی تواند، تکرار می کنم، نمی تواند منکر این درخشش شود.
چندلر، نویسنده ی این کتاب، و با قلمی قدرتمند و بسیار زیبا زندگی مرد بزرگ را از ابتدا تا انتها طوری به روی صفحه می آورد که تو گویی در حال تماشای یک فیلم مستند بسیار بلند و دیدنی هستی. مستندی که چندلر آن را استادانه کارگردانی کرده؛ گفت و گو با خود وایلدر و آوردن آن در قالب کتابی رمان گونه، مصاحبه با تک تک بزرگانی که با وایلدر کار کرده اند قطعاً کاری بوده بس سخت و دشوار. چندلر نه فقط نویسنده ی خوبی است، بلکه منتقد بسیار باهوش و تیزبینی نیز هست. بسیار دقیق و زیبا آثار بیلی وایلدر را نقد می کند و در حوزه ی نقد، پختگی خود را نشان می دهد.
این کتاب بسیار الهام بخش نیز هست. از این جهت که نشان می دهد انسانی بااراده، مثبت اندیش، و قوی چگونه در سخت ترین شرایط گلیم خود را از آب بیرون می کشد و با ناملایمات می جنگد. مراحل ساخته شدن تک تک آثار وایلدر، مخصوصاً سانست بلوار، واقعاً جذاب بودند. یک چیز دیگر کتاب که بسیار شایان توجه است، تلخی و بدبینی است که وایلدر عامدانه از اقرار به آن فرار می کند.اما به نظرم، وایلدر واقعاً انسان شناس معرکه ای هم بوده. انسان شناسی بیلی وایلدر، در اکثر آثارش مخصوصاً تک خال در حفره(1953) عیان است. او مردی شوخ، دوست داشتنی، اما تلخ اندیش بود؛ حتا در کمدی هایش هم رگه ی پنهانی از تلخی و بدبینی دیده می شود. مثلاً دقت کنید در فیلم بعضی ها داغشو دوست دارند(1959)، پایان گزنده و بی نهایت شیرین دوم، پایان کلیشه ای اول را بی رحمانه به سخره می گیرد (این تحلیل از استاد امیر پوریا بود). مثال ها زیاد اند از این دست. کیف کردم که دیدم وایلدر، علی رغم تلخی ذاتی اش انسانی بزرگوار و متین بوده؛ به طوری که همه از کار با او سخت راضی بوده اند. به قول یکی از بزرگان کتاب:«او یکی از فراموش نشدنی ترین انسان هایی است که در زندگی ات می بینی»
و برای من واقعاً هم همینطور بود. جذابیت دیگر کتاب، به نحوه ی نگرش وایلدر به مسائل است؛ او حتا در بدترین شرایط هم روحیه طنز خود را از دست نمی دهد و زندگی را آنگونه که هست می پذیرد. و بر من ثابت شد که تقدیمی اول کتاب، حقیقتاً به حق نوشته شده :«تقدیم به بیلی وایلدر کسی که کامل بود»
اما ترجمه ی کتاب. آرش عزیزی عزیز مترجم توانایی است و واقعاً در ترجمه ی کار زحمت کشیده. همین که به خود جرات داده تا زبان مردی را ترجمه کند که انگلیسی را از خود انگلیسی ها بهتر بلد بوده جای تحسین دارد اما ترجمه ی اش، بعضی جاها دست انداز داشت. برخی جاها آنقدر ترجمه ی زیبایی داشت که آن سرش ناپیدا، اما برخی جاها کمی رنگ و بوی ترجمه می داد و این، در بخش دوم کتاب بیشتر دیده می شد. این حرف به معنای نفی تلاش او نیست، اما صادقانه می گویم انتظارم از مترجمی که با چنین شوروشوقی به ترجمه ی چنین اثری دست زده، بیشتر بود کمی. باز هم می گویم، ترجمه ی کتاب خوب است، اما در حد ترجمه ی آثاری چون رومن به روایت پولانسکی، و یا گفت و گو با بیلی وایلدر نیست.
Profile Image for Eric.
320 reviews20 followers
December 30, 2025
Lightweight bio of the legendary writer/director, one of my heroes of the cinema. I don't know who Charlotte Chandler is, but she must be pretty cool because she knew Wilder, Fellini, & Groucho Marx and interviewed them all at length for her books. Nothing too analytical here, just a straight chronology of his life & work composed of recent reminiscences by Wilder & others who worked in & on his films. This makes for some very different emphasis from film to film based on whom Chandler got in touch with. At times a bit jarring to hear the uninhibited (& at times conflicting) memories of screen legends in their dotage. Naturally we get Tony Curtis going on about Marilyn Monroe, but also some lesser known interesting insights here & there, like Wilder's relationships with his collaborators Charles Brackett & I.A.L. Diamond, his great affection & respect for Audrey Hepburn, his constant desire to have Cary Grant in one of his movies (if only!!) & the enormous contributions of some behind-the-scenes people, perhaps most notably the production designer/art director Alexander Trauner whose work on The Apartment & Irma La Douce was truly spectacular. Also fascinating is how quickly Wilder grasped the situation in Europe in the 1930s; tho Berlin was a paradise for him, the day Hitler was elected he cleared out, having no illusions. The specter of how his entire world changed so completely & irrevocably (& the fact that much of his family was killed) adds much to his story, tho he hardly addresses it, and the community of ex-patriot Europeans who found a home in Hollywood and who pop up in these pages occasionally form an odd reminder of the great darkness that nearly engulfed us all, and which is such an essential part of Billy Wilder's genius.
Profile Image for Kelly.
207 reviews4 followers
August 12, 2020
An adequate collection of interviews with Wilder and those who worked with him but, surprisingly, not very insightful. It feels like the author collected all of her notes, organized them by film, and created chapters for each. Not much strong writing to make it cohesive. If a nice light conversation with these artists will suffice, you will enjoy this Hollywood memoir. But if you need more depth, look elsewhere.
Profile Image for Bea Elwood.
1,113 reviews8 followers
August 23, 2014
Because the author uses scores of personal interviews with the subject (Billy Wilder) and his coworkers and friends this book reads as a very personal conversation. It is packed full of information and brings to life the man behind the movies. Now to go watch Sunset Boulevard!
417 reviews5 followers
July 21, 2025
Die Autorin verbrachte viel Zeit mit Billy Wilder und protzt gern damit:

Billy Wilder and I frequently ate breakfast at the Beverly Hills Hotel

Sie stalkte auch andere A-Promis und erzählt gleich auf der ersten Seite, wie sie mit Groucho Marx um die Häuser zieht, rein zufällig Billy Wilder trifft und ein Interview klarmacht. Bei jedem Promi-Statement sagt sie “told me”:

Tennessee Williams told me… Audrey Hepburn told me… Tony Curtis told me… At lunch with Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond… James Cagney told me… Henry Fonda told me…

Mehr zum Buch unter https://hansblog.de/biografie-kritik-...
Profile Image for John Kennedy.
271 reviews5 followers
July 12, 2017
There are many lengthy and funny stories from Wilder himself, perhaps too long in some cases. The book contains numerous tidbits and insights, with witty lines by and about Wilder. I would have liked to have seen additional attention given to Wilder the screenwriter before he became a writer-director. Still, there are highlights from all his directed movies, including a 22-page in-depth treatment of "Some Like It Hot."
Profile Image for Bernie.
472 reviews18 followers
December 16, 2022
3.5. Interesting, not particularly well-written
Profile Image for James.
328 reviews5 followers
January 13, 2023
"God writes with a pencil with no eraser" - Billy Wilder
Profile Image for Ute Weiß.
187 reviews1 follower
July 27, 2024
Well, his life looks rather perfect the way it‘s depicted in this book.
I enjoyed reading it and will certainly watch his films again.
Profile Image for Julie.
848 reviews21 followers
May 13, 2021
Chandler, who had met and had conversations with Billy Wilder, discusses his life and his career as a director, writer and highlights his films. She also discusses his life, surviving WWI and the holocaust though losing his mother and grandmother in concentration camps. His films and his relationships with actors are discussed. This made me want to re-watch all his films especially the ones I missed.
Profile Image for jennifer.
20 reviews7 followers
September 10, 2015
Really enjoyed this. A bit on the hagiography side, and not exactly sparkling prose, but nonetheless and interesting and enjoyable look at how an Austrian became perhaps the most American filmmaker of all time.
79 reviews1 follower
January 12, 2014
Some details I hadn't heard before. Astaire & Rogers after the breakup via "Double Indemnity".
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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