Barnaby Thompson's documentary 'Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean' premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, offering an exhilarating delve into the career and personal life of the great British director. The film portrays Lean's journey as a dashing military adventure, akin to Napoleon or T.E. Lawrence, with brilliant improvisation and imperious command on set.
The documentary features a grand cast of talking heads, including directors Francis Ford Coppola, Greta Gerwig, Wes Anderson, Alfonso Cuarón, Paul Greengrass, Celine Song, and Steven Spielberg in archive footage. It highlights Lean's vocational dedication to cinema and his romantic restlessness, suggesting a pattern of seduction and marriage influenced by his father's abandonment.
Lean began as an editor, then co-directed with Noël Coward on 'In Which We Serve', and directed classics like 'Brief Encounter', 'Great Expectations', and 'Oliver Twist'. His move to location shooting abroad began with 'Summertime' in Venice, leading to epic films such as 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', 'Lawrence of Arabia', and 'Doctor Zhivago'.
The film notes Lean's fall from fashion in the late 1960s, with 'Ryan's Daughter' facing harsh criticism. Thompson makes a convincing case that Lean's personal turmoil, including his father's rejection, influenced his work. The documentary is a rich history, though it underplays the importance of music in Lean's films, particularly Maurice Jarre's scores.
