David Lean Films

A true craftsman, David Lean's films display meticulous attention to detail, evident from the composition of each frame, the expressive integration of sound and music and the subtle performances of his cast.

His career divides neatly down the middle and divides film buffs no less cleanly. The first half was small, largely monochrome an... show more >

A true craftsman, David Lean's films display meticulous attention to detail, evident from the composition of each frame, the expressive integration of sound and music and the subtle performances of his cast.

His career divides neatly down the middle and divides film buffs no less cleanly. The first half was small, largely monochrome and British; the second was expansive, international and earned him two Oscars and a knighthood from Her Majesty.

It was the latter, epic, phase that his reputation rests upon, with films like Bridge on the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago commonly numbered amongst the best films ever made.

However for many people it's his early work that really shows his genius. Whichever side you fall on though, you can agree he was a masterful director of film. < show less