Oliver Stone (Oliver Stone): filmography and the best films of the director

The American film director, producer and screenwriter Oliver Stone (full name Oliver William Stone) was born in New York on September 15, 1946. Father Stone was an orthodox Jew and, therefore, adhered to the Jewish religion. My mother was a Catholic with French roots. As a compromise, parents began to educate their son in the spirit of evangelism. One must assume that their efforts were in vain, since Oliver, while not at all against Christianity, now adheres to the religion of Buddhism.

Vietnam

Oliver Stone received his primary education in college, then enrolled at Yale University, but he did not succeed in completing his studies, after a year the restless student went to South Vietnam and began teaching English there at Pacific College. And again a year later Stone returned to the US, to Oregon, and then moved to Mexico. When in 1967 he was drafted into the army, Oliver was asked to go to Vietnam. He took part in hostilities, was wounded twice and received several awards. Returning from the war in late 1968, Stone entered the University of New York at the Faculty of Motion Picture Arts, where the teacher at that time was Martin Scorsese. Oliver Stone's graduation work was presented to them under the title "The Last Year in Vietnam".

Stone and Hitchcock

For a long time, Oliver Stone, whose filmography looked rather modest, shot films of an average level, with a low budget and a weak cast. But in 1981 Oliver surprised the whole of America by releasing a movie that could compete with the shocking thrillers of the genius of Alfred Hitchcock. It was called unpretentiously - "Hand". Hero Jonathan Lansdale, inadvertently sticking his hand out of the car window, the oncoming truck tore off that arm. Yes, so that arrived in the place of policemen severed body of the unfortunate Lansdale found and could not, although they searched every meter in the district. Thus, the director Oliver Stone immediately gave a mystical direction to the plot. Jonathan remained an invalid and professionally unsuitable person, as he was an illustrator. The mutilated Lansdale began to beg and wander. And then his hand was torn off. Now she was constantly in the field of view of her master, and Jonathan could watch Rook cruelly avenge all those people who had ever hurt or excruciated the pain of a former artist.

Stone's Thriller

So, writing the screenplay for the movie "Hand", removing it and even playing a small role in the film, director Oliver Stone clearly marked the future direction of his work. And the next film confirmed its reputation. It was a fantasy film "Conan the Barbarian" with Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan, a Cimmerian warrior, a cruel avenger. However, Oliver Stone just wrote the script for the film, directed by John Milius, and produced a picture of Dino De Laurentiis.

After the "Conan the Barbarian" according to the script of Stone was shot yet another action-packed film - "The face with a scar." Once again, Oliver limited himself to writing the script, the director of the production was Brian De Palma, the main role was played by Al Pacino. His character is Tony Montana, a drug dealer, expelled from Cuba by Fidel Castro and settled in Miami. Cuban quickly adapted in Florida and became a respected drug lord.

Theme of drug trafficking

In 1985, a list of films by Oliver Stone was replenished with another film on the topic of drug trafficking. It was the "Year of the Dragon" about drug dealers in the Chinatown of New York. As already customary, the director was not Stone, but Michael Cimino. The producer of the picture again made Dino De Laurentiis. The main role of the captain of police Stan White, called to end the drug trade, was played by Mickey Rourke. It became apparent that Oliver Stone, whose filmography consisted mainly of films on drug trafficking, attaches great importance to this problem.

In 1986, "Eight million ways to die," the last Oliver Stone script, in which he did not participate as a director, was filmed. All the other paintings, beginning with the "Platoon" in 1986 and ending with the film projects of today, Stone directed himself. Oliver Stone's films, as a rule, affect the most topical aspects of public life.

"Eight million ways to die" is a picture of Stone's favorite theme as a writer: drug trafficking, police, shooting, alcoholism, prostitution and redistribution of spheres of influence. Sometimes it's kind of like love between the main characters. However, judging by the actual box office, moviegoers like this theme. The main role in the film was played by Jeff Bridges, directed by Hal Ashby.

Vietnamese trilogy

In the same 1986, Oliver Stone made the first film of his trilogy about the Vietnam War. The painting is called "Platoon" and tells about soldiers who are trying to get somehow "yellow-faced", elusive, like lizards. Events take place on the border with Cambodia, the platoon is divided into two groups, one under the command of sergeant Bob Barnes, an experienced cruel warrior, the other under the command of sergeant Elias Grodin. The protagonist of the film is private Chris Taylor, in the image of which Stone tried to convey himself.

The second film from the series about the Vietnam War, "Born on July Fourth," was filmed in 1989. Oliver Stone wrote the script and acted as a director. A film about a simple American guy Ron Coveke, who was offered to go to Vietnam and there to defend the interests of his country. There was no doubt about the correctness of the military representatives, and Ron went to his destination. Doubts began to appear later, when the soldier saw how civilians were killed during the sweeps of villages, what inexpressible horror around. When Ron Covic, wounded, got into the hospital, he was amazed at the indifference of doctors and staff, dirty medical instruments and complete desolation.

The last film of the Vietnamese trilogy, "Heaven and Earth," describes the tragic fate of a thirty-year-old woman who had a chance to feel both fear of death, torture of cruel torturers, and humiliation. All these tests fell on her share in her native country, torn apart by the war. Le Lee Heislip, that's the name of the woman, married American sergeant Steve Butler and left with him to America. But Butler does not leave the severity of what he experienced in Vietnam, this is the syndrome of the Vietnam War. In the end, Steve Butler can not stand the strain and commits suicide.

"Shots in Dallas"

Between the second and third film of the Vietnamese trilogy, Stone removed the tape "John F. Kennedy: Shots in Dallas." In the list of films of Oliver Stone, thus, got a political detective, based on real events. The picture was released in 1991. In the center of the plot is an independent investigation by prosecutor Jim Harrison, refuting the official version put forward by the Warren Commission on the fact of the assassination of the president. The participation of Lee Harvey Oswald is being questioned by the prosecutor. According to the director himself, special services and large industrial corporations were interested in Kennedy's death. Oliver Stone, whose filmography contained films mainly about the drug trade and the Vietnam War, and then replenished with a political detective, hopes to continue working in this direction.

Failure

In the career of Oliver Stone, there was only one failure, but it was a huge financial disaster that occurred in 2004 when the big screen of the historical film about Alexander the Great, called "Alexander," was released. Oliver Stone wrote the screenplay of the film, became its director, and also the producer. The budget of the film was unprecedentedly high, it was $ 150 million. The main roles were played by Hollywood stars of the first magnitude: Colin Farrell and Angelina Jolie. A box office at the box office amounted to only 34 million dollars.

Personal life

Oliver Stone's personal life is three marriages and three children.

The first wife of the director Naiva Sarkis - a bright representative of the fair sex of Lebanese origin. Oliver met her at a meeting in a public organization at the UN. Naiwa worked as a curator of a charity fund for the Eastern region. They were married in 1971 and lived together for six years. Their marital life was clouded by only one circumstance: a young wife could not have children. The divorce was followed in 1977.

Oliver's second wife, actress Elizabeth Stone, gave birth to her husband's two sons: Shona Christopher in 1984 and Michael Jack in 1991. The eldest son, Sean, starred in his father's films in episodic children's roles. Oliver and Elizabeth Stone lived together for 12 years and divorced in 1993.

The third wife of the director was Korean Sun-Zhong Jung, with whom Oliver has been living for 18 years and feels quite happy. The couple have a daughter, Tara, who turns 17 this year.

Awards

Oliver Stone's awards reflect the creative heritage of the director as well as show his considerable potential.

His first "Oscar" Stone received in the nomination "Best Screenplay" in 1978. Under the script, the film "Midnight Express" was directed by Alan Parker. The phrase "midnight express" on prison slang means escape. It was the escape of William Hayes, who was imprisoned for 30 years for drugs, and formed the basis of the film.

Two other Oscar awards the director received for the films "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July" (both paintings from the Vietnamese trilogy).

In addition to awards of the highest value, Stone also received other prizes, such as the "Silver Bear" of the Berlin Film Festival in 1987 and the "Special Jury Prize" at the 1994 Venice Film Festival.