Karel Reisz (21 July 1926 – 25 November 2002) was a Czech-born British filmmaker and film critic, one of the pioneers of the new realist strain in

British cinema British cinema has significantly influenced the global film industry since the 19th century. The oldest known surviving film in the world, ''Roundhay Garden Scene'' (1888), was shot in England by French inventor Louis Le Prince. Early colour ...

during the 1950s and 1960s. Two of the best-known films he directed are '' Saturday Night and Sunday Morning'' (1960), a classic of

kitchen sink realism Kitchen sink realism (or kitchen sink drama) is a British cultural movement that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in theatre, art, novels, film and television plays, whose protagonists usually could be described as " angry young men" ...

, and the romantic period drama ''

The French Lieutenant's Woman ''The French Lieutenant's Woman'' is a 1969 Postmodern literature, postmodern historical fiction novel by John Fowles. The plot explores the fraught relationship of gentleman and amateur naturalist Charles Smithson and Sarah Woodruff, the for ...

'' (1981).

Early life

Reisz was born in

Ostrava Ostrava (; ; ) is a city in the north-east of the Czech Republic and the capital of the Moravian-Silesian Region. It has about 283,000 inhabitants. It lies from the border with Poland, at the confluences of four rivers: Oder, Opava (river), Opa ...

, Czechoslovakia, to a family of Jewish ancestry.Milne, Tom
"Obituary: Karel Reisz"
''Guardian.co.uk'', 28 November 2002 (Retrieved: 3 July 2009) His father was a lawyer. Reisz became a refugee, one of the 669 children rescued and evacuated from the country by Sir Nicholas Winton. He was transported to England in 1938, speaking almost no English, and he eradicated his foreign accent as quickly as possible. After attending Leighton Park School, he joined the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

toward the end of the war. After the war ended, he learned that both his parents were murdered at Auschwitz. Following his war service, Reisz read Natural Sciences at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and began to write for film journals, including '' Sight and Sound''. He co-founded ''

Sequence In mathematics, a sequence is an enumerated collection of objects in which repetitions are allowed and order matters. Like a set, it contains members (also called ''elements'', or ''terms''). The number of elements (possibly infinite) is cal ...

'' in 1947 with Lindsay Anderson and Gavin Lambert.

Career

Free Cinema

Reisz was a founder member of the Free Cinema documentary film movement. His book ''The Technique of Film Editing'' was first published in 1953, and became a standard textbook in the field. His first short film, '' Momma Don't Allow'' (1955), co-written and co-directed with

Tony Richardson Cecil Antonio Richardson (5 June 1928 – 14 November 1991) was an English theatre and film director, producer and screenwriter, whose career spanned five decades. He was identified with the "angry young men" group of British directors and play ...

, was included in the first Free Cinema program shown at the

National Film Theatre BFI Southbank (from 1951 to 2007, known as the National Film Theatre) is the leading repertory cinema in the United Kingdom, specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films. It is operated by the British Film Ins ...

in February 1956. The next year he produced '' Every Day Except Christmas'' (1957), directed by Lindsay Anderson, followed by ''Band Wagon'' (1958). Reisz and Anderson produced and directed '' March to Aldermaston'' (1959). Reisz alone directed '' We Are the Lambeth Boys'' (1959), a naturalistic depiction of the members of a South London boys' club, unusual in showing the leisure life of working-class teenagers, with

skiffle Skiffle is a music genre, genre of folk music with influences from American folk music, blues, Country music, country, Bluegrass music, bluegrass, and jazz, generally performed with a mixture of manufactured and homemade or improvised instruments. ...

music and cigarettes,

cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...

, drawing, and discussion groups. The film was chosen to represent Britain at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

. (The BBC made two follow-up films about the same people and youth club, broadcast in 1985.) Reisz also produced '' I Want to Go to School'' (1959), directed by

John Krish John Jeffrey Krish (4 December 1923 – 7 May 2016) was a British film director and screenwriter. He directed and filmed much archive footage and in particular ''Our School'' in 1962, showing the changing ways of Britain's school and the last ...

Early features

Reisz's first feature film, '' Saturday Night and Sunday Morning'' (1960), was based on the social-realism novel by

Alan Sillitoe Alan Sillitoe FRSL (4 March 192825 April 2010) was an English writer and one of the so-called " angry young men" of the 1950s. He disliked the label, as did most of the other writers to whom it was applied. He is best known for his debut novel ...

, and used many of the same techniques as his earlier documentaries. In particular, scenes filmed at the

Raleigh Raleigh ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, second-most populous city in the state (after Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte) ...

factory in Nottingham have the look of a documentary, and give the story a vivid sense of verisimilitude. The film won the Grand Award for Best Feature Film at the 1961 Mar del Plata International Film Festival. It was successful at the box office and made a film star of

Albert Finney Albert Finney (9 May 1936 – 7 February 2019) was an English actor. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in the theatre before attaining fame for movie acting during the early 1960s, debuting with '' The Entertainer'' ( ...

. Reisz directed a TV series, ''Adventure Story'' (1961). He produced Anderson's feature directorial debut ''

This Sporting Life ''This Sporting Life'' is a 1963 British kitchen sink realism, kitchen sink drama (film and television), drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson. Based on the This Sporting Life (novel), 1960 novel of the same name by David Storey, which won th ...

'' (1963), then he and Finney reunited on '' Night Must Fall'' (1964). Reisz directed ''

Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment ''Morgan – A Suitable Case for Treatment'' (also called ''Morgan!'') is a 1966 British comedy film directed by Karel Reisz and starring David Warner (actor), David Warner, Vanessa Redgrave, and Robert Stephens, with Irene Handl and Bernard Br ...

'' (1966) adapted by David Mercer from his 1962 television play. His fourth feature as director was '' Isadora'' (1968), a biography of dancer

Isadora Duncan Angela Isadora Duncan (May 26, 1877, or May 27, 1878 – September 14, 1927) was an American-born dancer and choreographer, who was a pioneer of modern contemporary dance and performed to great acclaim throughout Europe and the United States. Bor ...

, with a screenplay by

Melvyn Bragg Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg (born 6 October 1939) is an English broadcaster, author and parliamentarian. He is the editor and presenter of ''The South Bank Show'' (1978–2010, 2012–2023), and the presenter of the BBC Radio 4 documentary series ...

that starred

Vanessa Redgrave Dame Vanessa Redgrave (born 30 January 1937) is an English actress. In her career spanning over six decades, she has garnered List of awards and nominations received by Vanessa Redgrave, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony A ...

. Reisz joined the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

's Board of Governors in 1969 with the aim of bolstering support for independent British directors, but left the role after only a year.

Hollywood

Reisz's first film shot in America was '' The Gambler'' (1974) with

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...

. He made '' Who'll Stop the Rain'' (1978) with

Nick Nolte Nicholas King Nolte (; born February 8, 1941) is an American actor. Known for his leading man roles in both dramas and romances, he has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award. Nol ...

and

Tuesday Weld Tuesday Weld (born Susan Ker Weld; August 27, 1943) is a retired American actress. She began acting as a child and progressed to mature roles in the late 1950s. She won a Golden Globe Award, Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Female Newcome ...

. He was meant to follow it with an adaptation of Brian Moore's novel ''The Doctor's Wife'' based on a script by

Joe Eszterhas József Antal Eszterhás (; born November 23, 1944), credited as Joe Eszterhas, is a Hungarian-American writer. Born in Hungary, he grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. After an early career as a journalist and editor, he entered t ...

, but the film was never made. Back in London, Reisz directed ''

'' (1981), which was perhaps the most successful of his later films. Adapted from the

John Fowles John Robert Fowles (; 31 March 1926 – 5 November 2005) was an English novelist, critically positioned between modernism and postmodernism. His work was influenced by Jean-Paul Sartre and Albert Camus, among others. After leaving Oxford Uni ...

novel by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A List of Nobel laureates in Literature, Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramat ...

, it starred

Jeremy Irons Jeremy John Irons (; born 19 September 1948) is an English actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards, ...

and

Meryl Streep Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...

. In 1982, Reisz directed

John Guare John Guare ( ; born February 5, 1938) is an American playwright and screenwriter. He is best known as the author of '' The House of Blue Leaves'' and '' Six Degrees of Separation''. Early life He was raised in Jackson Heights, Queens.Druckma ...

's ''Gardenia Dreams'' on stage in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. He directed '' Sweet Dreams'' (1985), based on the life of country singer

Patsy Cline Patsy Cline (born Virginia Patterson Hensley; September 8, 1932 – March 5, 1963) was an American singer. One of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, she was known as one of the first country music artists to successfully Cross ...

, starring

Jessica Lange Jessica Phyllis Lange (; born April 20, 1949) is an American actress. With a career spanning over five decades, she is known for her roles Jessica Lange on screen and stage, on stage and screen. She has received List of awards and nominati ...

. After it, he made a script about Libby Holman for

Ray Stark Raymond Otto Stark (October 3, 1915 – January 17, 2004) was an American film producer and talent agent. Stark's background as a literary and theatrical agent prepared him to produce some of the most profitable films of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, ...

, but it was never produced.

Later career

Reisz's last feature was '' Everybody Wins'' (1990), with a screenplay by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

, and based on his play. From 1991 to 2001, Reisz focused on theatre directing in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. He directed an adaptation of '' The Deep Blue Sea'' (1994) for British TV. In 1995, he directed ''Moonlight'' by

, starring

Jason Robards Jason Nelson Robards Jr. (July 26, 1922 – December 26, 2000) was an American actor. Known for his roles on stage and screen, he gained a reputation as an interpreter of the works of playwright Eugene O'Neill. Robards received numerous accola ...

and

Blythe Danner Blythe Katherine Danner (born February 3, 1943) is an American actress. Accolades she has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Best Supporting Actress in a Dra ...

. At a Beckett festival at the

Lincoln Center Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 ...

in 1996, he directed ''Happy Days''. In 1999, he did Pinter's '' Ashes to Ashes'', featuring Lindsay Duncan and

David Strathairn David Russell Strathairn (; born January 26, 1949) is an American actor. Known for his leading roles on stage and screen, he has often portrayed historical figures such as Edward R. Murrow, J. Robert Oppenheimer, William H. Seward, and John D ...

, with the Roundabout Theater Company. At the Pinter Festival at the Lincoln Center in 2001, he staged '' A Kind of Alaska'' and ''

Landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes th ...

''. When the

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...

filmed all Beckett's stage plays, Reisz did '' Act Without Words I'' (2001).

Personal life

Reisz had three sons by his first wife Julia Coppard, whom he later divorced.Vallance, Tom
"Karel Reisz: Director of 'Saturday Night and Sunday Morning'"
''Independent.co.uk'', 28 November 2002 (Retrieved: 18 March 2009) Reisz wed

Betsy Blair Betsy Blair (born Elizabeth Winifred Boger; December 11, 1923March 13, 2009) was an American actress of film and stage, long based in London. Blair pursued a career in entertainment from the age of eight, and as a child worked as an amateur danc ...

, the former wife of

Gene Kelly Eugene Curran Kelly (August 23, 1912 – February 2, 1996) was an American dancer, actor, singer, director and choreographer. He was known for his energetic and athletic dancing style and sought to create a new form of American dance accessibl ...

, in 1963, and remained married to her until his death.

Filmography

Films

* '' Saturday Night and Sunday Morning'' (1960) * '' Night Must Fall'' (1964) * ''

'' (1966) * '' Isadora'' (1968) * '' The Gambler'' (1974) * '' Who'll Stop the Rain'' (1978) * ''

'' (1981) * '' Sweet Dreams'' (1985) * '' Everybody Wins'' (1990)

Short films

* ''Momma Don't Allow'' 1955 (documentary) * ''Every Day But Christmas'' 1957 (documentary about Covent Garden Market) * ''We Are the Lambeth Boys'' 1958 (documentary) * ''March to Aldermaston'' 1959 (documentary) about the first of the

Aldermaston Marches The Aldermaston marches were anti-nuclear weapons demonstrations in the 1950s and 1960s, taking place on Easter weekend between the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston in Berkshire, England, and London, over a distance of fifty-t ...

Television

* ''Adventure Story'' (1961) (6 episodes) * ''Performance'' (TV series) (1 episode) (1994)

Book

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Reisz, Karel 1926 births 2002 deaths Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge BAFTA winners (people) Czech people of Jewish descent Czechoslovak emigrants to the United Kingdom Kindertransport refugees English film directors English film producers English-language film directors English people of Czech-Jewish descent People educated at Leighton Park School Film people from Ostrava Social realism 20th-century English businesspeople Governors of the British Film Institute