Despite the limitations of the bulky 16mm camera and 10-minute film magazines, 'The Anderson Platoon' feels as spontaneous and fresh as any films that have come out of the Afghan or Iraq wars. Kevin Macdonald More Quotes by Kevin Macdonald More Quotes From Kevin Macdonald I can't claim my grandfather's work has influenced mine directly, but his life certainly inspired me to follow this path. Kevin Macdonald me path work life Everyone's got to make one submarine drama in their life. Kevin Macdonald everyone make drama life I used the same designer and costume designer on 'The Eagle' and 'The Last King of Scotland.' Kevin Macdonald costume eagle king last Young people read their news online; they expect to get their news for free. Kevin Macdonald free news young people You can go to places in Africa and Asia and find Marley graffiti. In the slums of Nairobi, you see his lyrics painted on walls, and you realise he has this almost religious significance to the underclass of the world. He's a guy born in a hut with no bed, and now he's probably the most listened-to artist in the world. It's fascinating. Kevin Macdonald you born artist world I'm a cynical person who's normally attracted to the dark side of things. Kevin Macdonald person things dark-side dark We're all fascinated by the way other people live their lives, how they cope with hardship and triumph, what they put in their home movies and family albums. Kevin Macdonald family home people way The first documentary I saw that tried to show the actual experience of being a soldier in combat was 'The Anderson Platoon,' by French director Pierre Schoendoerffer, which won the Oscar for best documentary in 1967. Kevin Macdonald best being experience soldier Although 'The Anderson Platoon' was what we would now call an 'embedded film' - with all the ambiguities that term implies - somehow Schoendoerffer got away with showing things as they really were from a grunt's perspective. Kevin Macdonald things now perspective film In war films, even more than in other kinds of documentary, we've come to think that shaky, poor-quality footage is somehow more authentic than something classically 'well shot.' Kevin Macdonald more something think war There were many times during the filming of 'Touching the Void' when I wondered why I had ever thought I wanted to make this film. Kevin Macdonald why make thought film In film, I believe things should either be documentary or drama. Kevin Macdonald things i-believe drama believe If there is a tendency in modern television I hate, it is the unstoppable march of the dramatic reconstruction to tell the stories of anything from an ancient Egyptian battle to the early life of Paul Gascoigne. Kevin Macdonald battle hate life television The great thing about making a film on a submarine is that it's kind of like making a play. You've got this limited environment. Kevin Macdonald great you environment play I find it really difficult when you make a movie where it is set in Russia and everyone speaks in English. It drives me crazy. Kevin Macdonald me you difficult crazy It feels like we're all so familiar now with the traditional three-act structure that, actually, stories that are more complex, more naughty, that allow for disagreement and discussion, are more interesting to us. Kevin Macdonald more like naughty interesting People who die in an untimely way who are artists, somehow that validates their art, we feel. Why culturally we feel that, I don't know. Kevin Macdonald die feel people art No man, no woman is without their flaws. Kevin Macdonald without woman man flaws You can relate to someone with a flaw. Kevin Macdonald flaw someone you relate What got me into making movies was that I wanted to be a journalist. Kevin Macdonald making got movies me
