American director Philip Kaufman is hard to pin down: a visual stylist
who is truly literate, a San Franciscan who often makes European films,
he is an accessible storyteller with a sophisticated touch. Celebrated
for his vigorous, sexy, and reflective cinema, Kaufman is best known for
his masterpiece The Unbearable Lightness of Being and the astronaut
saga The Right Stuff. His latest film*, Hemingway &
Gellhorn*(premiering May 2012 on HBO), stars Nicole Kidman and Clive
Owen. In this study, Annette Insdorf argues that the stylistic and
philosophical richness of Kaufman's cinema makes him a versatile auteur.
She demonstrates Kaufman's skill at adaptation, how he finds the precise
cinematic device for a story drawn from seemingly unadaptable sources,
and how his eye translates the authorial voice from books that serve as
inspiration for his films. Closely analyzing his movies to date
(including Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Wanderers, and
Quills), Insdorf links them by exploring the recurring and resonant
themes of sensuality, artistic creation, codes of honor, and freedom
from manipulation. While there is no overarching label or bold signature
that can be applied to his oeuvre, she illustrates the consistency of
themes, techniques, images, and concerns that permeates all of Kaufman's
works.