Brian De Palma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brian De Palma
De Palma in 2009
Born	Brian Russell De Palma (1940-09-11) September 11, 1940 (age 84) Newark, New Jersey, U.S.
Alma mater	Columbia University Sarah Lawrence College
Occupation	Film director screenwriter
Years active	1960–present
Spouse(s)	Nancy Allen ​ ​ (m. 1979; div. 1984)​ Gale Anne Hurd ​ ​ (m. 1991; div. 1993)​ Darnell Gregorio ​ ​ (m. 1995; div. 1997)​
Children	2

Brian Russell De Palma (born September 11, 1940) is an American film director and screenwriter. He has worked in movies for over 50 years. He is famous for his work in suspense, crime, and psychological thriller movies. De Palma was a key part of the "New Hollywood" group of filmmakers.

His film Carrie (1976), based on Stephen King's book, made him well-known. He had big hits with Dressed to Kill (1980), The Untouchables (1987), and Mission: Impossible (1996). He also made popular movies that became cult classics, like Sisters (1972), Phantom of the Paradise (1974), and The Fury (1978).

As a young director, De Palma wanted to be like the famous French director Godard. His movies often pay tribute to other filmmakers. For example, he honored Alfred Hitchcock in Obsession (1976) and Body Double (1984). His film Blow Out (1981) was inspired by Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup (1966). Also, Scarface (1983), which was a remake of a 1932 film, was dedicated to its original director, Howard Hawks. In 2015, De Palma was featured in a well-liked documentary about his work.

Early Life and Education

Brian De Palma was born on September 11, 1940, in Newark, New Jersey. He was the youngest of three boys. His parents were Vivienne DePalma and Anthony DePalma, who was a surgeon. His family came from Italy. Brian grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and New Hampshire. He went to different schools, including Quaker schools, and finished at Friends' Central School. He didn't have a good relationship with his father. This difficult relationship later inspired a character in his 1980 film Dressed to Kill.

When he was in high school, Brian enjoyed building computers. He even won a science fair prize for a project about computers. He started at Columbia University to study physics. But he became very interested in filmmaking after watching movies like Citizen Kane and Vertigo. After getting his first degree in 1962, De Palma went to Sarah Lawrence College. He studied theater there and earned a master's degree in 1964. At college, he was influenced by many artists and directors, like Alfred Hitchcock, who helped shape his own movie style.

Career Highlights

Starting Out (1963–1976)

Early in his career, Brian De Palma worked with a young actor named Robert De Niro. They made a film called The Wedding Party. This movie was filmed in 1963 but wasn't released until 1969. At that time, De Palma was becoming more known in the filmmaking scene. De Niro was not famous yet, and his name was even misspelled in the movie credits. This film used old silent movie techniques and quick cuts called jump-cuts. De Palma continued this style in other small films he made.

In the 1960s, De Palma also made money by directing documentary films. One notable film was The Responsive Eye (1966), about an art exhibit. He said he filmed it quickly and it was very successful. Another important documentary was Dionysus in '69 (1969). This film showed a play where the actors and audience mixed together. De Palma used a special technique called split-screen to show both the play and the audience at the same time. He found this performance amazing and wanted to capture it on film.

De Palma's important movies from this time include Greetings (1968) and Hi, Mom! (1970). Both films starred Robert De Niro and showed ideas popular in the 1960s. Greetings won an award at the 19th Berlin International Film Festival. Another film from this period was the comedy Murder a la Mod. These movies showed De Palma's experimental style and his goal to be like Jean-Luc Godard.

In 1970, De Palma moved to Hollywood. He made films like Sisters (1972), Phantom of the Paradise (1974), and Obsession (1976).

Becoming Famous (1976–1979)

In November 1976, De Palma released Carrie, a movie based on Stephen King's book. This movie was not expected to be a huge hit at first. De Palma changed some parts of the story to fit his vision. The actors were young and new, but Sissy Spacek and John Travolta were starting to get noticed. Carrie became De Palma's first big success at the box office. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie even received Oscar nominations for their acting.

Many actors considered for Carrie were also looked at for George Lucas's Star Wars, which was being cast at the same time. Carrie is known for its surprising ending, its mix of horror and teen comedy, and its use of visual techniques like split-screen and slow motion. De Palma even helped George Lucas edit the opening text for Star Wars.

The success of Carrie allowed De Palma to make more personal films. He was interested in adapting a novel called The Demolished Man, which had a complex story. This led to his 1978 science fiction thriller The Fury, starring Kirk Douglas and Amy Irving. This film had a bigger budget than Carrie. It showed De Palma's strong visual style and hinted at his future work in bigger movies like Mission: Impossible.

John Travolta, De Palma and Nancy Allen promoting Blow Out

Established Career (1980–1996)

De Palma directed the mystery thriller Blow Out (1981), starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, and John Lithgow. This film was highly praised by critics. One critic, Pauline Kael, said De Palma had reached a level where his movies showed a true artist's vision.

Next, De Palma directed the crime film Scarface (1983), starring Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer. The script was written by Oliver Stone. This movie received mixed reviews at first, partly because of its strong violence. However, it later became a cult classic and is now very popular. In the same year, De Palma directed the music video for Bruce Springsteen's song "Dancing in the Dark".

De Palma at the 1991 Venice Film Festival

In 1987, De Palma directed the crime film The Untouchables. This movie was based on a book and starred Kevin Costner, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro, and Sean Connery. Sean Connery won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role. The film was praised by critics and did very well at the box office.

De Palma's film about the Vietnam War, Casualties of War (1989), was well-received by critics but didn't do well in theaters. His film The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990) was not successful with critics or audiences. However, De Palma had more successes with Raising Cain (1992) and Carlito's Way (1993). His 1996 film Mission: Impossible became his highest-earning movie and started a very successful film series.

Later Career (1998–present)

After Mission: Impossible, De Palma's films were not as successful. Movies like Snake Eyes (1998), Mission to Mars (2000), and Femme Fatale (2002) did not earn much money and got mostly poor reviews. However, Femme Fatale has since become a cult classic and is liked by many film critics today. His 2006 film The Black Dahlia was also not very successful.

De Palma's 2007 film Redacted caused some discussion because of how it showed soldiers. This film was released in a limited number of theaters and did not earn much money.

De Palma speaking in 2012

De Palma has made fewer films since Redacted. Many of his planned projects have not been made due to creative disagreements. In 2012, his film Passion, starring Rachel McAdams and Noomi Rapace, was shown at the 69th Venice International Film Festival. It received mixed reviews and was not a financial success.

De Palma's next film was the thriller Domino (2019). It received mostly negative reviews and was released directly to video-on-demand in the United States. De Palma himself has said he was not happy with how the film was made or with the final movie.

In 2018, De Palma published his first novel in France, called Les serpents sont-ils nécessaires? (which means Are Snakes Necessary?). He wrote it with Susan Lehman. It was published in the U.S. in 2020. They also wrote another book together that has not been published yet.

Even though there were rumors that he might retire, De Palma said in September 2024 that he is planning to make "one other" film. He is currently working on casting it.

Filmmaking Style and Techniques

Brian De Palma's films often fit into two main types: his thriller films (like Sisters, Body Double, Dressed to Kill, Blow Out) and his more commercial films (like The Untouchables, Carlito's Way, and Mission: Impossible). He often makes several "De Palma" style thrillers before directing a different type of movie, but he usually returns to his familiar style. Some of his films, like Dressed to Kill, Scarface, and Body Double, have caused discussion because of their topics and violence.

Inspirations

De Palma often includes references to other directors' movies in his own work. His early films were inspired by Jean-Luc Godard. The plots of Blowup by Michelangelo Antonioni and The Conversation by Francis Ford Coppola were used as ideas for Blow Out. The famous shootout scene in the train station in The Untouchables is a clear nod to a scene in Sergei Eisenstein's The Battleship Potemkin.

The main story of Rear Window was used for Body Double, which also included parts of Vertigo. Vertigo also inspired Obsession. Dressed to Kill was a direct tribute to Hitchcock's Psycho, including moments like the surprising death of the main actress and the explanation scene at the end.

Camera Shots

Film critics often notice De Palma's unique camera angles and ways of framing shots.

• He sometimes uses a canted angle shot, where the camera is tilted, to make characters look uneasy or to create a dramatic feeling.
• He uses split-screen techniques to show two different events happening at the same time.
• To make a scene more dramatic, De Palma might use a 360-degree camera pan, where the camera spins all the way around.
• He often uses slow, sweeping, and tracking shots that follow characters for minutes without cutting. These are called long takes.
• De Palma also uses "split focus" or "di-opt" shots. This technique keeps both a person or object in the foreground and another in the background clearly in focus at the same time.
• Slow-motion is often used in his films to build suspense.

Personal Life

Brian De Palma has been married and divorced three times. His wives were actress Nancy Allen (from 1979 to 1983), producer Gale Anne Hurd (from 1991 to 1993), and Darnell Gregorio (from 1995 to 1997). He has one daughter with Gale Anne Hurd and one daughter with Darnell Gregorio. He lives in Manhattan, New York.

Filmography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Brian De Palma para niños