History Creator / NicholasRay

* ''Bigger Than Life'' (1956)

--> '''Nicholas Ray''': "My heroes are no more neurotic than the audience. Unless you can feel that a hero is just as fucked up as you are, that you would make the same mistakes that he would make, you can have no satisfaction when he does commit a heroic act. Because then you can say, ‘Hell, I could have done that too.’ And that’s the obligation of the filmmaker — of the theater-worker — to give a heightened sense of experience to the people who pay to come see his work."

---

* ShortLivedBigImpact: He did live a long life, but his most prolific period in the film industry was a mere ten or thirteen years during which he made films that were admired by the likes of Creator/JeanLucGodard, Creator/FrancoisTruffaut, Creator/MartinScorsese and Creator/JimJarmusch among others.

Nicholas Ray (1911–1979) is the original cult director. With one solid exception, his films never became box-office hits and he never attained the fame or cultural and institutional appeal of Creator/JohnFord, Creator/AlfredHitchcock, Creator/EliaKazan or Creator/BillyWilder. His films were more popular among a circle of admirers in France, Europe and independent-minded young adults. He made films in all kinds of genres, including FilmNoir, TheWestern, TheMusical and EpicMovie but created a distinct visual style and tone that made him one-of-a-kind.

* BrokenAce: A repeated theme in his films is people, adults, who were once top of their game but because of their trauma, DarkAndTroubledPast or other frustration are not entirely functional. Creator/HumphreyBogart in ''Film/InALonelyPlace'' is a notable example. As is Robert Ryan in ''On Dangerous Ground'' and James Mason in ''Bigger Than Life''.

* ''On Dangerous Ground'' (1951)

* BrokenAce: A repeated theme in his films is people, adults, who were once top of their game but because of their trauma, DarkAndTroubledPast or other frustration are not entirely functional. Creator/HumphreyBogart in Film/InALonelyPlace is a notable example. As is Robert Ryan in ''On Dangerous Ground'' and James Mason in ''Bigger Than Life''.
* DysfunctionJunction: A favored theme in his movies is to show people trying to form communities but not cohering because they are too different or have different issues. Film/RebelWithoutACause is a notable example.

-->--'''Creator/JeanLucGodard'''

'''Nicholas Ray''' (1911–1979) is the original cult director. With one solid exception, his films never became box-office hits and he never attained the fame or cultural and institutional appeal of Creator/JohnFord, Creator/AlfredHitchcock, Creator/EliaKazan or Creator/BillyWilder. His films were more popular among a circle of admirers in France, Europe and independent-minded young adults. He made films in all kinds of genres, including FilmNoir, TheWestern, TheMusical and EpicMovie but created a distinct visual style and tone that made him one-of-a-kind.

* ''Johnny Guitar'' (1954)

Oh and that one exception! That was ''RebelWithoutACause'' starring JamesDean. You may remember the final shot, a man walking up to the Observatory with a briefcase, that was [[CreatorCameo the director himself]]. In his lifetime, he worked with the likes of Farley Granger, Robert Ryan, Robert Mitchum, HumphreyBogart, James Mason, Christopher Plummer, Burl Ives, Sterling Hayden, Joan Crawford in addition to the cast of Rebel. As critic Robin Wood remarked, "no one gives a bad performance in a Ray film."

Ray's Hollywood career ended with the UsefulNotes/FallOfTheStudioSystem which led to a long period in Europe. He returned to America at the height of TheSixties and was thrilled at seeing a culture heralded by his most famous film. He became a beloved teacher in New York University, one of his students was Creator/JimJarmusch. He worked with his students in making an experimental film that was finally released and completed in 2012, years after his death. He's coming back into focus in the 21st Century especially with the popularity of his lesser known titles like ''Film/InALonelyPlace'' on DVD.

* ''Lightning Over Water'' (1980)

Nicholas Ray (1911-1979) is the original cult director. With one solid exception, his films never became box-office hits and he never attained the fame or cultural and institutional appeal of Creator/JohnFord, Creator/AlfredHitchcock, Creator/EliaKazan or Creator/BillyWilder. His films were more popular among a circle of admirers in France, Europe and independent-minded young adults. He made films in all kinds of genres, including FilmNoir, TheWestern, TheMusical and EpicMovie but created a distinct visual style and tone that made him one-of-a-kind.

* They Live by Night (1948)
* Film/InALonelyPlace (1950)
* On Dangerous Ground (1951)
* The Lusty Men (1952)
* Johnny Guitar (1954)
* Film/RebelWithoutACause (1955)
* Bigger Than Life (1956)
* Bitter Victory (1957)
* Wind Across the Everglades (1958)
* Party Girl (1958)
* The Savage Innocents (1960)
* Film/KingOfKings (1961)
* 55 Days at Peking (1963)
* We Can't Go Home Again (1973)
* Lightning Over Water (1980)

--> "There was theatre ([[Creator/DWGriffith Griffith]]), poetry ([[Creator/FriedrichWilhelmMurnau Murnau]]), painting ([[Creator/RobertoRossellini Rossellini]]), dance ([[Creator/SergeiEisenstein Eisenstein]]), music ([[Creator/JeanRenoir Jean Renoir]]). Henceforth there is cinema. And [[IAmTheNoun the cinema is Nicholas Ray]]."
-->-- '''Creator/JeanLucGodard'''

Ray's Hollywood career ended with the FallOfTheStudioSystem which led to a long period in Europe. He returned to America at the height of TheSixties and was thrilled at seeing a culture heralded by his most famous film. He became a beloved teacher in New York University, one of his students was Creator/JimJarmusch. He worked with his students in making an experimental film that was finally released and completed in 2012, years after his death. He's coming back into focus in the 21st Century especially with the popularity of his lesser known titles like ''InALonelyPlace'' on DVD.

* King of Kings (1961)

Ray's Hollywood career ended with the FallOfTheStudioSystem which led to a long period in Europe. He returned to America at the height of TheSixties and was thrilled at seeing a culture heralded by his most famous film. He became a beloved teacher in New York University, one of his students was Creator/JimJarmusch. He worked with his students in making an experimental film that was finally released and completed in 2012, years after his death. He's coming back into focus in the 21st Century especially with the popularity of his lesser known titles like ''InALonelyPlace'' on DVD.

But still SugarWiki/NeedsMoreLove!

But still NeedsMoreLove!

--> "There was theatre ([[Creator/DWGriffith Griffith]]), poetry ([[Creator/FriedrichWilhelmMurnau Murnau]]), painting ([[Creator/RobertoRossellini Rossellini]]), dance ([[Creator/SergeiEisenstein Eisenstein]]), music ([[Creator/JeanRenoir Jean Renoir]]). Henceforth there is cinema. And [[IAmTheNoun the cinema is Nicholas Ray]]." - Creator/JeanLucGodard

--> "There was theatre ([[Creator/DWGriffith Griffith]]), poetry ([[Creator/FWMurnau Murnau]]), painting ([[Creator/RobertoRossellini Rossellini]]), dance ([[Creator/SergeiEisenstein Eisenstein]]), music ([[Creator/JeanRenoir Jean Renoir]]). Henceforth there is cinema. And [[IAmTheNoun the cinema is Nicholas Ray]]." - Creator/JeanLucGodard

--> "There was theatre ([[DWGriffith Griffith]]), poetry (Murnau), painting (Rossellini), dance ([[Creator/SergeiEisenstein Eisenstein]]), music ([[JeanRenoir Jean Renoir]]). Henceforth there is cinema. And [[IAmTheNoun the cinema is Nicholas Ray]]." - Creator/JeanLucGodard

--> "There was theatre ([[DWGriffith Griffith]]), poetry (Murnau), painting (Rossellini), dance ([[Creator/SergeiEisenstein Eisenstein]]), music ([[JeanRenoir Jean Renoir]]). Henceforth there is cinema. And [[IAmTheNoun the cinema is Nicholas Ray]]." - JeanLucGodard

--> "There was theatre ([[DWGriffith Griffith]]), poetry (Murnau), painting (Rossellini), dance ([[SergeiEisenstein Eisenstein]]), music ([[JeanRenoir Jean Renoir]]). Henceforth there is cinema. And [[IAmTheNoun the cinema is Nicholas Ray]]." - JeanLucGodard

Ray's Hollywood career ended with the FallOfTheStudioSystem which led to a long period in Europe. He returned to America at the height of TheSixties and was thrilled at seeing a culture heralded by his most famous film. He became a beloved teacher in New York University, one of his students was JimJarmusch. He worked with his students in making an experimental film that was finally released and completed in 2012, years after his death. He's coming back into focus in the 21st Century especially with the popularity of his lesser known titles like ''InALonelyPlace'' on DVD.

Nicholas Ray (1911-1979) is the original cult director. With one solid exception, his films never became box-office hits and he never attained the fame or cultural and institutional appeal of JohnFord, AlfredHitchcock, EliaKazan or BillyWilder. His films were more popular among a circle of admirers in France, Europe and independent-minded young adults. He made films in all kinds of genres, including FilmNoir, TheWestern, TheMusical and EpicMovie but created a distinct visual style and tone that made him one-of-a-kind.

Nicholas Ray is the original cult director. With one solid exception, his films never became box-office hits and he never attained the fame or cultural and institutional appeal of JohnFord, AlfredHitchcock, EliaKazan or BillyWilder. His films were more popular among a circle of admirers in France, Europe and independent-minded young adults. He made films in all kinds of genres, including FilmNoir, TheWestern, TheMusical and EpicMovie but created a distinct visual style and tone that made him one-of-a-kind.