| Nicolas Roeg | |
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Nicolas Roeg at 43rd KVIFF (2008) |
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| Born | Nicolas Jack Roeg 15 August 1928 London, England |
| Occupation | film director |
| Spouse(s) |
Susan Stephen (1957–1977) Theresa Russell (1982 – ? ) |
Nicolas Jack Roeg, CBE, BSC (born 15 August 1928) is an English film director and cinematographer.
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Roeg was born in London, the son of Mabel Gertrude (née Silk) and Jack Nicolas Roeg.[1] Contributing to the visual look of Lawrence of Arabia and Roger Corman's The Masque of the Red Death, and co-directing Performance, he would later become the guiding force behind such landmark films as Walkabout, Don't Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Roeg's films are known for having scenes and images from the plot presented in a disarranged fashion, out of chronological and causal order, requiring the viewer to do the work of mentally rearranging them to comprehend the storyline. They seem, in the words of one critic, "to shatter reality into a thousand pieces" and are "unpredictable, fascinating, cryptic and liable to leave you wondering what the hell just happened. . . ."[2] Roeg displays a "freedom from conventional film narration," says another, and his films often consist of, at least, an "intriguing kaleidoscopic multiplication of images."[3] Often, Roeg will edit his stories in disjunctive and semi-coherent ways that make full sense only in the film's final moments, when a crucial piece of information surfaces; they are "mosaic-like montages [filled with] elliptical details which become very important later."[4] These techniques, and Roeg's foreboding sense of atmosphere, have influenced later filmmakers such as Steven Soderbergh,[5] Tony Scott,[6] Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, François Ozon and Danny Boyle.[7] His later films, however, have received a colder reception by critics and the viewing public.
Roeg's influence on cinema is not limited to deconstructing narrative. The "Memo From Turner" sequence in Performance predates many techniques later used in music videos. And the "quadrant" sequence in Bad Timing, in which the thoughts of Theresa Russell and Art Garfunkel are heard before words are spoken, set to Keith Jarrett's piano music from the Köln Concert, again stretched the boundaries of what could be done with film.
His work was documented at the Riverside Studios, London between 12 and 14 September 2008, showcasing 9 of his films. He introduced the retrospective along with Miranda Richardson who starred in Puffball.
The retrospective included Bad Timing, Puffball, Far from the Madding Crowd, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Witches, Eureka, Don't Look Now and Insignificance. The London Film Academy organised this event for Roeg in honour of his patronage of the school.
Roeg was married to Susan Stephen between 1957 and 1977. They had four children, including the producer Luc Roeg, who also stars in Roeg's first film, Walkabout, as Lucien John. Roeg married Theresa Russell in 1982 and they had two children, including actor Max Roeg, and Statten Roeg. Following their divorce, Roeg married Harriet Harper in 2004.
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