Summary
Film director Stephen Frears discusses the life of his mentor, Czech-born director, Karel Reisz, with the help of critic and Reisz's friend, John Lahr. Frears is one of Britain's most successful directors, responsible for "My Beautiful Laundrette", "Dangerous Liaisons", and "Dirty Pretty Things", among many others. Reisz is probably best known for "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning", and "The French Lieutenant's Woman".
"Karel took me into his life and into his family and he took on the business of turning me into whatever it is I've become," Frears has said. "Without him, I wouldn't have become a film director". Matthew Parris chairs the discussion.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Once you've wrapped up this podcast, how about trying a very British cult? |
| 0:06.0 | What happens if the person you trust with your future isn't what you think they are? |
| 0:10.0 | I did feel the whole time he was watching me Yeti. I saw a footprint and that really gave me gusmas. |
| 0:16.4 | Or people who knew me. Emme, I remember every secret, every lie. I'm the only one who knows the truth. |
| 0:23.0 | Discover more of our biggest podcast from 2003. |
| 0:27.0 | Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:29.0 | Thank you for downloading this great lives podcast from BBC Radio 4. |
| 0:34.0 | For more information and details of other podcasts just visit BBC.co. UK slash radio 4. |
| 0:41.0 | My guest this week is one of Britain's most celebrated film directors. |
| 0:46.0 | My beautiful laundrette, dangerous liaisons, the Queen, you get the picture. |
| 0:50.0 | He is Stephen Freers. |
| 0:52.0 | Welcome Stephen Freers. Welcome Stephen. |
| 0:53.7 | Looking at your list of films I'm struck not just by the consistent hit rate but the |
| 1:00.4 | diversity of your output this this social commentary, uncompromising realism, costume drama, |
| 1:06.3 | Hollywood comedy, and I know because I've been told that you often bridle at this question, |
| 1:11.8 | but is there a thread running through your work that |
| 1:15.5 | ties this apparently disparate collection? |
| 1:18.1 | Well, if there's a thread, it's fairly invisible. |
| 1:20.7 | I mean, except that the work, the scripts scripts I film I hope are intelligent and |
| 1:26.0 | Interesting and I mean they're really about things that interest me and if I'm lucky they interest other people You've chosen as your great life another British |
| 1:33.7 | film director whom? Carol Rice and why? Because I was his assistant and indeed I'd |
| 1:41.6 | never crossed my mind to work in the cinema until he said come and work on my film. |
... |
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