The Celluloid Roll

by: Justin Liberman

Last year I got the chance to work along side writer/director David Mamet on his latest film Red Belt. Throughout my life I have been lucky to live through some amazing experiences; watching Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and Dave Matthews do a sound check in front of 15 people at Farm Aide, rafting and climbing the Grand Tetons, shaking hands with Larry Bird and Kevin McHale in 1990, and hearing Rosario Dawson say my name, but above them all is my experience working with David Mamet. As a man, Mamet is both kind and fierce, and equal balance of reason and romance. He is a slave to his own word and a person who is unable to lie, either pay a false compliment or fib a little white lie. His honesty is portrayed not only in his work but more importantly in his work ethic. He is a filmmaker in the purest term; he is a collaborator before he is a maestro. He takes greater pleasure in seeing his crew work hard and laughing then seeing his actors speak his perfect dialogue. His relationship with his Cinematographer Robert Elswitt (2007 Academy Award Winner for There Will Be Blood) is a relationship that can be comparable to a couple of seven year olds playing in the back yard. It’s full of wonder and kindness, which leads their efforts to brilliance. When you meet Mamet you forget that he is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and you forget about his Tony Awards and Oscar nominations, you cannot help but to focus on his primal nature; his instinct to make people laugh and convey his true thoughts. His art is simply a world he can play in, it is not what he is or who he is, it does not define him, it illuminates his talents as a writer, director, actor, scholar, historian, and humanitarian.

I write about Mamet this week because the film Red Belt was just released on DVD. His latest effort is a samurai film in the vein of classic Akira Kurosawa films. It tells the story of Jiu Jitsu instructor Mike Terry (played with precision by Chiwetel Ejiofor) and his quest to regain honor and pride in his art. Like Mamet’s signature films, Red Belt is a con movie set in the neo noir world of an American fight film. Mamet’s homage to cinema is paramount in this film’s telling and is highlighted by his usual players; Joe Mantanga and Ricky Jay smooth performances. Red Belt’s language is tight with lines like “The one who imposes the terms of the battle will impose the terms of the peace” and “There is always an escape”. A favorite line of mine comes from the whimsical mouth of Ricky Jay when talking about an upcoming fight when he says, “It’s back to the 30’s. Grudge match. Black vs. White, Irish vs. Jew. Give me some velocity, some velocity eh. Or you just have two monkeys in the ring.”

I encourage all of you to see this film. It’s a throwback to Jules Dassin’s noir classic Night and the City and Kurosawa’s best. It’s a departure from the popcorn fare that is plaguing box offices these days. It is good cinema done by one of America’s best cinematic talents and it’s most prolific writer. Do check it out.

For filmmakers out there, please understand that when you are making a film, you inevitably end up making three completely different films. You make a film that you write, a film that you shoot, and a film that you edit. Understand the evolution of your film project. Be able to cut it up and say goodbye to those beloved scenes that do not move the story forward. It’s a director’s biggest curse however; if you can do this, it will be your greatest asset. Frame Fuck your film to perfection and it will be great definitive film you set out to make.

Peace and Love,
-Justin