During a speech at the Venice Film Festival, filmmaker Damien Chazelle paid heartfelt tribute to the late director William Friedkin, who passed away on August 7th, 2023. The festival also marked the premiere of Friedkin’s final film, ‘The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.’
Reflecting on Friedkin’s legacy, Chazelle shared his childhood impression of the director’s name, which filled him with fear. Chazelle associated the name with ‘The Exorcist,’ even before he had seen the film. He mentioned the powerful impact of the film’s typography and how the name ‘Friedkin’ suggested forbidden and terrifying depths of imagination.
Chazelle continued by noting that, today, when he thinks of William Friedkin’s name, it evokes feelings of love. Love for cinema, art, and a vision of how different artistic forms can intersect and enrich one another. Friedkin’s cinematic vision was one that seamlessly intertwined with music, literature, painting, and even opera.
Chazelle also recounted the kindness and generosity Friedkin showed him when he was an emerging director, emphasizing that the man responsible for hard-hitting films like ‘Sorcerer,’ ‘The French Connection,’ ‘Cruising,’ and ‘Killer Joe’ was, in person, warm, welcoming, sweet, humble, and full of love.
The director of ‘La La Land’ noted the current climate of fear in the film industry and Hollywood. He expressed the sentiment that Friedkin’s fearless approach to filmmaking was sorely missed in such times, as he pushed boundaries and stepped past them in his work, creating movies that felt vibrant, electric, and ultimately transcendent.
Chazelle concluded his tribute by stating that Friedkin’s brilliance, fearlessness, and love would endure forever. He acknowledged the privilege of being in the presence of this remarkable filmmaker and believed that his legacy would continue to inspire generations to come.
