When I read Mark Harris’s “Pictures at a Revolution” last summer, an amazing history of the American filmmaking revolution through the lens of the 1968 nominees for Best Picture, one of my first thoughts was, “This would make a great film.”
I was thinking narrative, though, mainly because key figures like Rex Harrison and, of course, Warren Beatty stuck out as such vibrant characters. And the circumstances are so dramatic — or, at least, Harris really found the right dramatic rhythms when he pulled all the information together. If anyone was willing to sit down and attempt the thankless task of streamlining his dense work into a script, it could make a hell of a film.
Well, that’s not happening, of course, but the inevitable is. Oscilloscope Laboratories has announced plans to produce a documentary based on the volume with “Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired” director Marina Zenovich tapped to head up the project. It’ll be fun and it’ll hopefully be revealing. And if you haven’t read the book yet, do yourself the favor.
There aren’t any quotes from Harris in the press release, so I thought I’d reach out and get his quick perspective on things. Check out his response, as well as the full release, after the jump.