History Creator / DavidLean

Lean made his directorial debut with the adaptation of Noel Coward's ''Film/InWhichWeServe'' and later found his BreakthroughHit with ''Film/BriefEncounter'' regarded as the quintessential British WartimeRomance and an instant classic. He later found fame with adaptations of Creator/CharlesDickens' ''Literature/GreatExpectations'' and ''Literature/OliverTwist'', his first films with favorite actor Creator/AlecGuinness.

* ''Film/ThisHappyBreed'' (1944) - his first solo-directorial debut

In 1984, Lean's reputation was revived by ''Literature/APassageToIndia'', which received universal critical acclaim and respectable box office. The 1989 restoration and re-release of ''Lawrence of Arabia'' also enhanced his stature. In the final years of his life, he had planned a comeback with an adaptation of Creator/JosephConrad's ''Literature/{{Nostromo}}'', it took him several years to get the funding, cast, and crew in place, [[AuthorExistenceFailure and then he died a few weeks before production began]].

Lean employed location shooting, large-scale use of extras, and visual extravagance common to the Hollywood genre but raised them to a new level of sophistication thanks to the deeper storytelling (resulting from Lean's collaboration with excellent screenwriters like Creator/RobertBolt), richer characterization, and the use of landscape as part of the story and character (best shown through a WidescreenShot). A Lean epic is commonly associated with SceneryPorn, gorgeous landscape shots, incredible action set-pieces, technical brilliance and amazing performances.

Lean was born to a Quaker family in Surrey and from very early in his career, he made films with a Brownie camera. He was TheMovieBuff as a young man who adored the films of Creator/KingVidor, Creator/WilliamWyler and Creator/JohnFord. He eventually worked in British film studios and found his calling as an editor, including the famous George Bernard Shaw adaptions of ''Theatre/{{Pygmalion}}'' (1937) and ''Theatre/MajorBarbara'' (1941) as well as films with Creator/MichaelPowell and Emeric Pressburger. He edited ''Film/FortyNinthParallel'' and ''Film/OneOfOurAircraftIsMissing'' and Powell would consider Lean the best editor he worked with.

Lean's career stalled temporarily in the '50s. He made several largely-forgotten vehicles starring his wife, actress Ann Todd, along with a well-received but unsuccessful adaptation of ''Hobson's Choice'' staring Creator/CharlesLaughton. His comeback came with ''Film/{{Summertime}}'' starring Creator/KatharineHepburn, a transitional film between his small-scale melodramas and later epics (it was filmed on location in Venice).

His production pace slowed to a halt after that and critics generally found that his later films lacked the spirit of these films. This was also a time where the EpicMovie went out of fashion. ''Film/DoctorZhivago'' was a huge box-office success but critics generally despised it. The scathing reviews accorded to ''Film/RyansDaughter'' reportedly discouraged Lean from making films for over a decade, though in reality he spent the '70s working on several failed projects, notably a remake of ''Film/MutinyOnTheBounty'' (which eventually mutated into ''Film/TheBounty'', a much smaller-scale project helmed by a different director).

In 1984, Lean's reputation was revived by ''Literature/APassageToIndia'', which received universal critical acclaim and respectable box office. The 1989 restoration and re-release of ''Lawrence of Arabia'' also enhanced his stature. In the final years of his life, he had planned a comeback with an adaptation of Creator/JosephConrad's ''Literature/{{Nostromo}}'', it took him several years to get the funding, cast and crew in place, [[AuthorExistenceFailure and then he died a few weeks before production began]].

Lean is regarded as one of the greatest film-makers of all time and counts the likes of Creator/MartinScorsese, Creator/StevenSpielberg, Creator/StanleyKubrick, Creator/SpikeLee and others among his fans.

[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sir_david_lean.jpg]]

Lean is regarded as one of the greatest film-makers of all time and counts the likes of Creator/MartinScorsese, Creator/StevenSpielberg, Creator/StanleyKubrick, Creator/SpikeLee and others among his {{Big Name Fan}}s.

Sir David Lean CBE (25 March 1908 – 16 April 1991) is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest British filmmakers of the 20th century. He is especially associated with the EpicMovie, and for good reason.

* ''Film/InWhichWeServe'' (1942)(co-directed with Creator/NoelCoward)

Sir David Lean CBE (25 March 1908 – 16 April 1991) was a British director, screenwriter, and editor, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest English-language filmmakers of the 20th century. He is especially associated with the EpicMovie, and for good reason.

Lean employed location shooting, large-scale use of extras, and visual extravagance common to the Hollywood genre but raised to a level of sophistication thanks to the deeper storytelling (resulting from Lean's collaboration with excellent screenwriters like Creator/RobertBolt), richer characterization and the use of landscape as part of the story and character (best shown through a WidescreenShot). A Lean epic is commonly associated with SceneryPorn, gorgeous landscape shots, incredible action set-pieces, technical brilliance and amazing performances.

Sir David Lean CBE (25 March 1908 – 16 April 1991) is one of the greatest English film-makers of the 20th Century. He is especially associated with the EpicMovie, and for good reason. He also pioneered location shooting, large-scale use of extras and visual extravagance common to the Hollywood genre but raised to a level of sophistication thanks to the deeper storytelling (resulting from Lean's collaboration with excellent screenwriters like Creator/RobertBolt), richer characterization and the use of landscape as part of the story and character (best shown through a WidescreenShot). A Lean epic is commonly associated with SceneryPorn, gorgeous landscape shots, incredible action set-pieces, technical brilliance and amazing performances.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sir_david_lean.jpg]]

Lean was born to a Quaker family in Surrey and from very early in his career, he made films with a Brownie camera. He was TheMovieBuff as a young man who adored the films of Creator/KingVidor, Creator/WilliamWyler and Creator/JohnFord. He eventually worked in British film studios and found his calling as an editor, including the famous George Bernard Shaw adaptions of ''Theater/{{Pygmalion}}'' (1937) and ''Film/MajorBarbara'' (1941) as well as films with Creator/MichaelPowell and Emeric Pressburger. He edited ''Film/FortyNinthParallel'' and ''Film/OneOfOurAircraftIsMissing'' and Powell would consider Lean the best editor he worked with.

Lean was born to a Quaker family in Surrey and from very early in his career, he made films with a Brownie camera. He was TheMovieBuff as a young man who adored the films of Creator/KingVidor, Creator/WilliamWyler and Creator/JohnFord. He eventually worked in British film studios and found his calling as an editor, including the famous George Bernard Shaw adaptions of ''Pygmalion'' (1937) and ''Major Barbara'' (1941) as well as films with Creator/MichaelPowell and Emeric Pressburger. He edited ''Film/FortyNinthParallel'' and ''Film/OneOfOurAircraftIsMissing'' and Powell would consider Lean the best editor he worked with.

* ''Film/InWhichWeServe'' (1942)

* ''Literature/GreatExpectations'' (1946)