Directions Unit: Alexander Mackendrick Presentation

Alexander Mackendrick

Alexander Mackendrick is one of the best and most overlooked directors of British film. Surprisingly he was born in the USA to Scottish parents, but grew up in Scotland, studying at the Glasgow School of Art. Perhaps this is where his love of film began, certainly would’ve been ingrained in these early stages.

He started out as a commercial illustrator, and his first experience in film was with animation (for advertising films) but he soon found himself attracted by live-action, shooting numerous short documentaries and writing screenplays throughout the 1940s.
After making propaganda films at the Ministry of Information during World War II, he fell into a job at Ealing Studios. This was a growing company to which the young director helped to build up.

After directing several well credited films,  he was offered an academic job as the Dean of the Film Department of the California Institute of the Arts, which he accepted and held from 1969 until shortly before his death. A tragic end to such a film genius.

Main Directing Credits

He met his lucky break in 1948 with his debut of the classic Ealing comedy Whisky Galore! (1949), set in Scotland, familiar territory for him. He then moved onto other masterpieces like The Man in the White Suit (1951) and The Ladykillers (1955). Pieces like this really revolutionised comedy. These were dark comedies with a satirical edge to them than the rather nicer, more innocent British comedy typical of that era.

He later branched out to Hollywood to direct Sweet Smell of Success (1957), a vicious, no-holds-barred portrait of the world of ruthless New York gossip columnists. This is a film I am yet to see, and will watch for continued research. Although it was a great opportunity to expand his career now acclaimed as one of the great American films, and one at the peak of Mackendrick’s career, staring actors like Tony Curtis (who you may no from ‘Some Like it Hot’)and cinematographer James Howe (prominent at the time) it was a critical and box-office disaster that, sadly, ensured that Mackendrick would never again scale such heights.

Style

Something Ive notice with Mackendrick's work is that he likes to  build up tension and then suddenly drop it again, almost to keep the audience on their toes. The build up in the ladykillers when Marcus is at the door is suddenly dropped after the loud sounding bell rings and the door is answered. He would increase tension by having the mysterious figure of Marcus follow Mrs Wilberforce to her house, and walk around the outside of the house.

The Ladykillers 

He likes his extreme Closeups. Whenever watching a Mackendrick film, I've noticed he will usually include closeup shots to focus on something specific/important. The is usually with objects, but will also on occasions include characters. I feel this really shows his eyes for detail.

The Man in the White Suit

The Ladykillers 

In his directing style, Mackendrick appears to be very ahead of the times. In The Ladykillers I noticed in the  car scenes, he was very clever in camera position. Especially for the time when cameras were a lot bigger, and cars usually smaller. Despite this, he films interior car scenes, and even goes so far as to record a shot of all the characters in the car at the same time by recording their reflection in the front mirror. I couldn't workout if the interior car shots are actually in a car or studio-built car. I know the film itself was studio based so it probably was studio-built. With the special effects commonly used today (cough* cough* Michael Bay), its easy to forget just how genius the filming techniques of the likes of Mackendrick actually are.

The Original Scene/ Scenes I Want To Adapt and Direct

For my chosen piece I've Decided to re-direct Mackendirck's The LadyKillers.

I wanted to to shoot multiple scenes to give a rough hist of what the film is about. There was no better way of conveying the satirical dark comedy theme than to re-direct than opening with what is one of the most iconic scenes from the Ladykillers; Professor Marcus’ sinister silhouette at the door. I feel its sinisterness is fundamental, and needs to come across in however I re-direct it.

Scene 1 
I wanted to to shoot multiple scenes to give a rough hist of what the film is about. There was no better way of conveying the satirical dark comedy theme than to re-direct than opening with what is one of the most iconic scenes from the Ladykillers; Professor Marcus’ sinister silhouette at the door. The hat is almost Alec Guinness Suit of Armour. I feel its sinisterness is fundamental, and needs to come across in however I re-direct it. Shot of feet walking around

This fist scene conveys the the two characters quite well, especially through dialogue. Although we are suspicious of Marcus at first with his entrance, we warm to his gentlemanly persona. He talks about his string quintette rehearsing at Mrs Wilberforce's house. The audience know how they ended up in Mrs. Wilberforce’s house. I could then jump to when they all have arrived, and planning the robbery.

For all interior shots of the house I will tilt the camera. Its impossible for me to change the actual structure of the house location to show subsidence. When Professor Marcus is at the door I will create a platform to stand him straight while the camera is tilted so it would realistically look like the house has subsidence.

Scene 2

My next scene will be when the whole gang meet for the first time, and Marcus explains how Mrs Wilberforce is although ignorant to it, the key piece to the robbery. She will unsuspectingly pick the bullion up from the station. I also chose this scene because the audience get an idea of who the characters are and their behaviour; especially Louis. In re-directing this scene, I would like to make it more obvious that Marcus always locks the door behind him. When watching this film years ago for the first time, I questioned why Mrs. Wilberforce didn't  just open the door, because locking it wasn't made obvious. I would like to have an extreme close up of the door locking. The character space doesn't really need changing. Marcus is usually the centre point given he is the leader.

Scene 3

I did intend to  film the robbery scene in a very different way to the actual film. I recently saw an advert for the DRAMA channel where they projected media onto peoples houses. Provided I got the permission to film at Kings Cross Train Station, I would film Harry as a train guard taking the case and pan up to a wide shot of the station. I will then film a short montage of the robbery and make it look as though its projected on the station come post production. However, I also realise that its probably a bit too ambitious; it can be difficult to film a 'hist' and have it look effective on such a small budget. I will still consider it, but its unlikely to go ahead.

Scene 3

After finding out the robbery scene was unachievable on my budget I looked to directly after the robbery. I still wanted my piece to flow well. I decided to have the scene start on when the money arrives at Mrs Wilberforce's house successfully, up until they go to leave and One Round drops all of the money. Ending on such action will hopefully leave my audience wanting more. Getting the fake money would be an easy prop to make, so is definitely achievable. In terms of redirecting this scene I would probably consider shooting the falling of the money from inside the house through he glass, depending on how it looks on film. I would do this because it shows what Mrs. Wilberforce is seeing, and could also look more comical.

I did have an idea to make the film contemporary, setting it in modern Britain. This has been done before with the Coen brothers in 2004 with their modern, American adaptation, which I didn't feel was as good. If I set it in the 1950's, I would consider having a black and white colour correction throughout, despite the film being made in colour.