In Sidney Lumet: A Life, Columbia University film professor Maura Spiegel (The Breast Book) provides a discerning chronicle of the life of the groundbreaking American director. Known for seminal films such as 12 Angry Men and Network, Lumet's directorial career spanned five decades in film, television and theater. Born into a Polish-Jewish family, he was a child actor in Yiddish theater, radio shows, Broadway and film. He started working as a television director in 1950, when directors "were making it up in this new medium as they went," giving Lumet the freedom to explore "the untidiness and unexpectedness of human motives." Later, when directing films, Lumet notably eschewed the glamour of Hollywood, instead filming mostly in New York City. His distinguished and prolific career includes 43 movies, more than 75 television episodes, movies and "plays for the small screen," and an Academy lifetime achievement award.
Lumet "left no diaries, no papers, no correspondence," a challenge that biographer Spiegel overcame through extensive interviews of the people in Lumet's life. Though he didn't like to dwell on the past--"his inclination was to keep moving forward and not to look back"--his experiences were often reflected in his films, which frequently featured themes of urban poverty, political corruption, familial drama, Jewish culture, and racism and discrimination. Peppered with analyses of his work as well as profiles of the actors, artists and family in his life (including strained family relationships and his four marriages), Spiegel has created a thorough and fascinating account, both personal and professional, of a director whose legacy continues to have a significant impact on modern cinema. --Jennifer Oleinik, freelance writer and editor