Norman Jewison was one of the most serious & eclectic directors that ever were. We was versatile in all genres but he cared for social and political issues and made important films, like his peers, Sidney Lumet, Mike Nichols, Sydney Pollack, his contemporaries. Like all of them he started his career in Television, in the Fifties. He survived his era and was retired long ago now, his last film being 21 years ago (The Statement, 2003). He died at 97 years of age without winning a single Oscar -he was but nominated Seven Times...
Jewison could've done just three films and he would've made history, and film history. In the Heat of the Night, Jesus Christ Superstar and Fiddler on the Roof. Others can say The Cincinnati Kid or The Thomas Crown Affair, the two films he did with Steve McQueen, his friend but also his most difficult actor (as he said). I'd say also Rollerball, with a brilliant James Caan. Amazing film even today ! Weird that John McTiernan remade two of his films that didn't need any remake at all.
1st film of his saw -in Romanian Theaters- was And Justice for All (Dreptate pentru toti)-1979, with a hectic Al Pacino. We call this movie now, And Justice for Al ;) Also In the Heat of The Night (In arsita noptii, 1967), I saw on the cinema but on a re-run, a film about Racial prejudice that made Sidney Poitier famous as detective Tibbs and a brilliant Rod Steiger as chief Gillespie, he won an Oscar for best lead-these days that would've been supporting part (while Poitier wasn't even nominated :( ), great score by Quincy Jones, title track by Ray Charles, and it's another one of those films who directed itself-no director win, but won 5 Oscars: for best film, best script, and gave Hal Ashby his only Oscar-for editing, 5 awards in total !!!
In the 80's he made less interesting and engaging films, except Moonstruck (1987) which had a fabulous showcase for a young Nicolas Cage and 3 Oscar wins-one for Cher, also the pic got awarded the Silver Bear in Berlinale. In 1999 he did The Hurricane, about the boxer Rubin Carter, wrongfully accused for murder and imprisoned hard, another story of Race and social injustice, with a grand Denzel Washington (that he kinda discovered and pushed into A Soldier's Tale -1984), film that introduced me to that brilliant Bob Dylan "Hurricane" song. Denzel was nominated for an Oscar for this and won best actor in Berlinale.
Last film of his I saw was The Russians are Coming The Russians are Coming (1966), a re-watch last year due to the death of Alan Arkin which is fabulous in this underrated and forgotten comedy cold war classic (close to Billy Wilder's best).
I was a big fan of Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), which was a big hit for us on video and I saw very late Fiddler on the Roof (1971), on a private screening and a night to remember with it's biggest fan, in his flat, a certain director which I love very much ;)
All in all, Norman Jewison was one of the Greats. They don't make 'em like this anymore. Too bad...but grateful for all the films he did and I loved. RIP...
Variety Obit here.
