Bruce Beresford

Bruce Beresford (; born 16 August 1940) is an Australian film director, opera director, screenwriter, and producer. He began his career during the Australian New Wave, and has made more than 30 feature films over a 50-year career, both locally and internationally in the United States. He is a two-time Academy Award nominee, and a four-time AACTA/AFI Awards winner out of 10 total nominations

Beresford's films include ''Breaker Morant'' (1980), '' Tender Mercies'' (1983), '' Crimes of the Heart'' (1986), '' Driving Miss Daisy'' (1989) – which won four Oscars including Best Picture, ''Black Robe'' (1991), '' Silent Fall'' (1994), ''Double Jeopardy'' (1999), ''Mao's Last Dancer'' (2009), and ''Ladies in Black'' (2018). He was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for ''Breaker Morant'', and Best Director for ''Tender Mercies''. He won AACTA/AFI Awards – Best Direction (2) for ''Don's Party'' (1976) and ''Breaker Morant'', and Best Screenplay (2) for ''Breaker Morant'' and '' The Fringe Dwellers'' (1986).

In addition, four of Beresford's films have been nominated for the Palme d'Or, and four have been nominated for the Golden Bear. He has also been nominated for two BAFTA Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Directors Guild of America Award, and won a Genie Award.

Early life and education

Beresford was born in Paddington, New South Wales, the son of Lona (née Warr) and Leslie Beresford, who sold electrical goods. He grew up in the then outer-western suburb of Toongabbie, and went to The Meadows Public School and then The King's School, Parramatta. He made several short films in his teens including ''The Hunter'' (1959).Stated in a 2007 interview on Radio National in Australia (o
Late Night Live

He completed a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English at the University of Sydney, where he graduated in 1964. While at university he made the short film ''The Devil to Pay'' (1962) starring John Bell and Ron Blair, ''It Droppeth as the Gentle Rain'' (1963) co-directed by Albie Thoms and starring Germaine Greer, ''Clement Meadmore'' (1963) with Bell and ''King-size Woman'' (1965).

Career

Nigeria and England

Beresford then moved to England in search of film work. He could not break into the British film scene, so he answered an advertisement for an editing job in Nigeria, where he worked for two years, in Enugu.

He then returned to England and worked for the British Film Institute as a producer of short films by first-time directors, including ''Magritte: The False Mirror'' (1970) and ''Paradigm'' (1970).

Beresford directed the documentary ''Lichtenstein in London'' (1968) about Roy Lichtenstein, and ''Extravaganza'' (1968), '' Barbara Hepworth at the Tate'' (1970), ''The Cinema of Raymond Fark'' (1970), and ''Arts of Village India'' (1972).

Early feature films

Beresford returned to Australia to make his first feature film, '' The Adventures of Barry McKenzie'' (1972), which he also wrote with Barry Humphries. The film, produced by Phillip Adams, was a box office success in England and Australia, but Beresford later said making the film was a "mistake" because reviews were so bad that he had trouble finding other work."Interview with Bruce Beresford", ''Signet'', 15 May 1999
accessed 17 November 2012

Beresford directed a documentary for TV, ''The Wreck of the Batavia'' (1973) and did some other TV films, ''Poor Fella Me'' (1973), and ''Monster or Miracle? Sydney Opera House'' (1973). These were financed by Reg Grundy who also financed Beresford's second feature as director, '' Barry McKenzie Holds His Own'' (1974), a sequel to ''Barry McKenzie''.

Stranded in London without funds, Beresford agreed to direct and co-write a comedy, '' Side by Side'' (1975) starring Humphries and Terry-Thomas (this poorly received film was released on DVD in 2013). The money he received enabled him to return to Australia where, Beresford says, Phillip Adams "saved my life" by offering him the job of directing an acclaimed version of David Williamson's play '' Don's Party'' (1976).

Soon afterwards, Beresford directed an adaptation of Henry Handel Richardson's novel '' The Getting of Wisdom'' (1977), also produced by Adams.

SAFC

Beresford signed a contract with the South Australian Film Corporation for whom he wrote and directed a thriller, '' Money Movers'' (1979), which was a box office disappointment. He did some uncredited directing on the SAFC's ''Blue Fin'' (1978), then co-wrote and directed ''Breaker Morant'' (1980).David Stratton, ''The Last New Wave: The Australian Film Revival'', Angus & Robertson, 1980 p271-272 The latter film was a notable success at the box office and earned Beresford an Oscar nomination. It was widely seen in Hollywood and Beresford began to receive US offers.

Beresford directed '' The Club'' (1980), from another Williamson play, and '' Puberty Blues'' (1981).

Early US films

Beresford received an offer from EMI Films to direct Horton Foote's '' Tender Mercies'' (1983). Star Robert Duvall won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance and Beresford earned a Best Director nomination.

He followed it with ''King David'' (1985) starring Richard Gere, which was a notable box office failure.

Beresford returned to Australia to direct '' The Fringe Dwellers'' (1986), co-written with his first wife, Rhoisin Beresford. In the US he directed '' Crimes of the Heart'' (1986) from the play by Beth Henley, did a segment of the film ''Aria'' (1987), and did the comedy thriller '' Her Alibi'' (1989) with Tom Selleck.

''Driving Miss Daisy''

Beresford directed '' Driving Miss Daisy'' (1989) with Morgan Freeman and Jessica Tandy, based on the play by Alfred Uhry. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture, although Beresford was not nominated as director. The film was a commercial and critical success.

Asked if he minded not even being nominated for the Best Director Oscar for ''Driving Miss Daisy'', Beresford said: "No, not at all. I didn't think it was that well directed. It was very well written. When the writing's that good, you've really just got to set the camera up and photograph it."

He directed '' Mister Johnson'' (1990) in Nigeria, with Edward Woodward; '' Black Robe'' (1991), an Australian-Canadian film based on the novel by Brian Moore; '' Rich in Love'' (1992), co-written by Uhry; '' A Good Man in Africa'' (1994) with Sean Connery from a novel by William Boyd, which in 2015 Beresford called his worst film; '' Silent Fall'' (1994), which was nominated for the Golden Bear at the 45th Berlin International Film Festival; and '' Last Dance'' (1996) with Sharon Stone.

He adapted but did not direct '' Curse of the Starving Class'' (1994).

Beresford returned to Australia to direct '' Paradise Road'' (1997), which was a commercial disappointment. He directed a documentary, ''Sydney: A Story of a City'' (1999), then had a hit with the thriller ''Double Jeopardy'' (1999).

Later films

Beresford made '' Bride of the Wind'' (2001); '' Evelyn'' (2002) with Pierce Brosnan; and '' And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself'' (2003) with Antonio Banderas.

He spent several years looking for financing for various projects before making '' The Contract'' (2006) with Freeman and Cusack. He followed it with a TV film ''Orpheus'' (2006) and returned to Australia to make '' Mao's Last Dancer'' (2009) which was also filmed in Houston, Texas.

Beresford's later credits include '' Peace, Love & Misunderstanding'' (2011) with Jane Fonda, the documentary ''H.H. Dalai Lama: Essence of Mahayana Buddhism'' (2011), the mini series '' Bonnie & Clyde'' (2013), '' Mr. Church'' (2016) with Eddie Murphy, an episode of the remake of ''Roots'' (2017), the TV movie ''Flint'' (2017) and the Australian film '' Ladies in Black'' (2018).

Opera

In addition to films, Bruce Beresford has also directed several operas and theatre productions. In 1996, he directed a Portland Opera (Oregon) production of the Stephen Sondheim musical '' Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.''

In 2016, he directed Benjamin Britten's opera ''Albert Herring'' for the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, in a production conducted by Nicholas Cleobury.

He often works with film editor Mark Warner. (See: List of film director and editor collaborations)

In 2012, he directed a production of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's opera '' Die tote Stadt'' for Opera Australia.

In 2018, he directed the Australian premiere of Rossini's ''Otello'' for Melbourne Opera.

Writing

Beresford is a contributor to ''The Spectator Australia''.

Memoir

In August 2007, he published a memoir, ''Josh Hartnett Definitely Wants To Do This... True Stories From A Life in the Screen Trade''.

Personal life

Beresford's second wife is novelist Virginia Duigan, sister of film director and editor John Duigan. He has five adult children and now works both in Australia and the United States.

Contemporaries and friends

Beresford attended the University of Sydney with critic and documentary maker Clive James

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