Oliver Stone – Chasing the Light – Review

 

Over the last 35 years, I've always looked at Oliver Stone as primarily a film director. After reading his memoir, Chasing the Light, to discover he's, first and foremost, a writer was a great discovery. It's only been lately that I've delved into the world of Hollywood: directors, producers, and screenwriters. To see that he penned two of my favorite films, Midnight Express and Scarface, winning the Oscar for best screenplay for the latter, reinforced my admiration for this artist. 

The son of an intelligent WWII vet and a French mother, Stone maps out his rebellious nature from the beginning. Stone was not destined for an inside-the-lines life trajectory. Dropping out of university to write a novel. Joining the military during the Vietnam war, driving taxis, and writing screenplays in cold Manhattan one-room apartments, one can see how his early films and later ones ruffled the establishment's feathers.

The first 100 pages of the memoir are a young Stone finding his way. His bent for writing was obviously with him at a young age. His stint at NYU studying film brought his goals into focus. Hearing Martin Scorsese speak at the university had a significant impression on the fledgling filmmaker:

...and his classes were fun, punctuated by rapid-fire dialogues, irreverence at every level, but at the same time, he understood the sacred stakes we were playing for, and then very few of us in these classes would succeed. I know I felt this, perhaps because I was older than most of my classmates. (p. 61)

Stone's experiences in Vietnam changed the man. Indeed without thinking, freshly back from war, he carried some drugs over the border from Mexico into the U.S. and got caught. Languishing in jail, he finally had the opportunity to call his conservative father. Dad bailed him out, setting the creative thought process behind his two successful screenplays: Midnight Express and Platoon.

As a consumer of film, I had no idea what it takes to make one from start to finish. Reading about the finance aspect of the business is enough to put anyone off the industry. Let alone the initial idea; the screenplay and its numerous rewrites, financing; actual filming; actors, sets, locations, etc. Stone opens the window to this world, so anyone pushing to get into the business as a director and writer should actually think twice – I certainly did. Personally, I realized that creating a film is a wholly collaborative exercise. Each person and department play a crucial role towards the end product. We forget this as the audience.

One can really see and feel the blood, sweat, and tears in the making of Salvador. I had always heard about the phenomenon, but it takes a specific type of personality to work with prominent name actors. The word "primadonna" comes to mind x10. Yes, actors are extraordinary, but to behave like small children when they're making so much money is embarrassing. I like James Woods as an actor, but his spoilt brat antics on the set were a little hard to take. That said, what superb acting in Salvador – an Oscar-winning performance.

The memoir ends with Platoon winning Best Picture and Oliver receiving Best Director.

Stone is an excellent writer. Similar to a good thriller, the text pulls you into his life, including all the ups and downs. Unfortunately, the memoir ends at a high point in Oliver Stone's career. Knowing what I know now about his films, work, and life post Platoon, the next installment of his autobiography should be another riveting ride.

We'll have to wait and see.