Brian De Palma
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Brian De Palma is one of the well-known directors who spear-headed the new movement in Hollywood during the 1970s. He is known for his many films that go from violent pictures, to Hitchcock-like thrillers. Born on September 11, 1940, De Palma was born in Newark, New Jersey in an Italian-American family. Originally entering university as a physics student, De Palma became attracted to films after seeing such classics asCitizen Kane (1941).Enrolling in Sarah Lawrence College, he found lasting influences from such varied teachers asAlfred HitchcockandAndy Warhol.
At first, his films comprised of such black-and-white films asTo Bridge This Gap (1969).He then discovered a young actor whose fame would influence Hollywood forever. In 1968, De Palma made the comedic film Greetings (1968) starringRobert De Niroin his first ever credited film role. The two followed up immediately with the films The Wedding Party (1969) andHi, Mom! (1970).
After making such small-budget thrillers such asSisters (1972)andObsession (1976),De Palma was offered the chance to direct a film based onStephen King's classic novel "Carrie". The story deals with a tormented teenage girl who finds she has the power of telekinesis. The film starredSissy Spacek,Piper LaurieandJohn Travolta,and was for De Palma, a chance to try out the split screen technique for which he would later become famous.
Carrie (1976)was a massive success, and earned the two lead females (Laurie and Spacek) Oscar nominations. The film was praised by most critics, and De Palma's reputation was now permanently secured. He followed up this success with the horror filmThe Fury (1978),the comedic filmHome Movies (1979)(both these films featuredKirk Douglas), the crime thrillerDressed to Kill (1980)starringMichael CaineandAngie Dickinson,and another crime thriller entitledBlow Out (1981)starringJohn Travolta.
His next major success was the controversial, ultra-violent filmScarface (1983).Written byOliver Stoneand starringAl Pacino,the film concerned Cuban immigrant Tony Montana's rise to power in the United States through the drug trade. While being a critical failure, the film was a major success commercially.
Moving on fromScarface (1983),De Palma made two more movies before landing another one of his now-classics:The Untouchables (1987),starring old friendRobert De Niroin the role of Chicago gangster Al Capone. Also starring in the film wereKevin Costneras the man who commits himself to bring Capone down, andSean Connery,an old policeman who helps Costner's character to form a group known as the Untouchables. The film was one of De Palma's most successful films, earning Connery an Oscar, and gaveEnnio Morriconea nomination for Best Score.
AfterThe Untouchables (1987),De Palma made the Vietnam filmCasualties of War (1989)starringMichael J. FoxandSean Penn.The film focuses on a new soldier who is helpless to stop his dominating sergeant from kidnapping a Vietnamese girl with the help of the coerced members of the platoon. The film did reasonably well at the box office, but it was his next film that truly displayed the way he could make a hit and a disaster within a short time.The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)starred a number of well-known actors such asBruce WillisandMorgan Freeman,however it was still a commercial flop and earned him two Razzie nominations.
But the roller coaster success that De Palma had gotten so far did not let him down. He made the horror filmRaising Cain (1992),and the criminal dramaCarlito's Way (1993)starringAl PacinoandSean Penn.The latter film is about a former criminal just released from prison that is trying to avoid his past and move on. It was in the year 1996 that brought one of his most well-known movies. This was the suspense-filledMission: Impossible (1996)starringTom CruiseandJon Voight.
Following up this film was the interesting but unsuccessful filmSnake Eyes (1998)starringNicolas Cageas a detective who finds himself in the middle of a murder scene at a bo xing ring. De Palma continued on with the visually astounding but equally unsuccessful filmMission to Mars (2000)which earned him another Razzie nomination. He met failure again with the crime thrillerFemme Fatale (2002),the murder conspiracyThe Black Dahlia (2006),and the controversial filmRedacted (2007)which deals with individual stories from the war in Iraq.
Brian De Palma may be down for the moment, but if his box office history has taught us anything, it is that he always returns with a major success that is remembered for years and years afterwards.
At first, his films comprised of such black-and-white films asTo Bridge This Gap (1969).He then discovered a young actor whose fame would influence Hollywood forever. In 1968, De Palma made the comedic film Greetings (1968) starringRobert De Niroin his first ever credited film role. The two followed up immediately with the films The Wedding Party (1969) andHi, Mom! (1970).
After making such small-budget thrillers such asSisters (1972)andObsession (1976),De Palma was offered the chance to direct a film based onStephen King's classic novel "Carrie". The story deals with a tormented teenage girl who finds she has the power of telekinesis. The film starredSissy Spacek,Piper LaurieandJohn Travolta,and was for De Palma, a chance to try out the split screen technique for which he would later become famous.
Carrie (1976)was a massive success, and earned the two lead females (Laurie and Spacek) Oscar nominations. The film was praised by most critics, and De Palma's reputation was now permanently secured. He followed up this success with the horror filmThe Fury (1978),the comedic filmHome Movies (1979)(both these films featuredKirk Douglas), the crime thrillerDressed to Kill (1980)starringMichael CaineandAngie Dickinson,and another crime thriller entitledBlow Out (1981)starringJohn Travolta.
His next major success was the controversial, ultra-violent filmScarface (1983).Written byOliver Stoneand starringAl Pacino,the film concerned Cuban immigrant Tony Montana's rise to power in the United States through the drug trade. While being a critical failure, the film was a major success commercially.
Moving on fromScarface (1983),De Palma made two more movies before landing another one of his now-classics:The Untouchables (1987),starring old friendRobert De Niroin the role of Chicago gangster Al Capone. Also starring in the film wereKevin Costneras the man who commits himself to bring Capone down, andSean Connery,an old policeman who helps Costner's character to form a group known as the Untouchables. The film was one of De Palma's most successful films, earning Connery an Oscar, and gaveEnnio Morriconea nomination for Best Score.
AfterThe Untouchables (1987),De Palma made the Vietnam filmCasualties of War (1989)starringMichael J. FoxandSean Penn.The film focuses on a new soldier who is helpless to stop his dominating sergeant from kidnapping a Vietnamese girl with the help of the coerced members of the platoon. The film did reasonably well at the box office, but it was his next film that truly displayed the way he could make a hit and a disaster within a short time.The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)starred a number of well-known actors such asBruce WillisandMorgan Freeman,however it was still a commercial flop and earned him two Razzie nominations.
But the roller coaster success that De Palma had gotten so far did not let him down. He made the horror filmRaising Cain (1992),and the criminal dramaCarlito's Way (1993)starringAl PacinoandSean Penn.The latter film is about a former criminal just released from prison that is trying to avoid his past and move on. It was in the year 1996 that brought one of his most well-known movies. This was the suspense-filledMission: Impossible (1996)starringTom CruiseandJon Voight.
Following up this film was the interesting but unsuccessful filmSnake Eyes (1998)starringNicolas Cageas a detective who finds himself in the middle of a murder scene at a bo xing ring. De Palma continued on with the visually astounding but equally unsuccessful filmMission to Mars (2000)which earned him another Razzie nomination. He met failure again with the crime thrillerFemme Fatale (2002),the murder conspiracyThe Black Dahlia (2006),and the controversial filmRedacted (2007)which deals with individual stories from the war in Iraq.
Brian De Palma may be down for the moment, but if his box office history has taught us anything, it is that he always returns with a major success that is remembered for years and years afterwards.
