Along with Michael Powell and Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean (1908-1991) is one of the most significant British filmmakers to emerge from the first half of the twentieth century. His use of panoramic landscapes, precision editing, grandiose compositions, and epic themes--as epitomized in his classics Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago--have influenced Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and numerous other directors. Lean's films encompass a wide range of styles and genres: quiet, personal dramas (Brief Encounter, Summertime); stylized adaptations of...

Along with Michael Powell and Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean (1908-1991) is one of the most significant British filmmakers to emerge from the first half of the twentieth century. His use of panoramic landscapes, precision editing, grandiose compositions, and epic themes--as epitomized in his classics Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago--have influenced Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and numerous other directors. Lean's films encompass a wide range of styles and genres: quiet, personal dramas (Brief Encounter, Summertime); stylized adaptations of...