Jonathan Glazer Explained

Jonathan Glazer
Birth Date:26 March 1965
Birth Place:London, England
Education:Nottingham Trent University (BA)
Notable Works:
Years Active:1993–present
Spouse:Rachael Penfold
Children:3

Jonathan Glazer (born 26 March 1965) is an English film director and screenwriter. He began his career in theatre before transitioning into film, directing the features Sexy Beast (2000), Birth (2004), Under the Skin (2013), and The Zone of Interest (2023).

Glazer's work is defined by depictions of flawed and desperate characters; themes such as alienation and loneliness; and a bold visual style uses an omniscient perspective and dramatic music. Glazer has been nominated for six BAFTA Awards and two Academy Awards. For the historical drama The Zone of Interest, he won the Grand Prix and the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Glazer has directed music videos for acts including Radiohead, Massive Attack, Richard Ashcroft and Jamiroquai. He received nominations for the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction for his videos for Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" (1996) and Radiohead's "Karma Police" (1997). He has also directed commercials for brands including Kodak, Sony, Nike, Barclays and Alexander McQueen.

Early life and education

Jonathan Glazer was born on 26 March 1965 in London, England,[1] and is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.[2] His ancestors were Ukrainian Jews and Bessarabian Jews who fled the Kishinev pogrom and arrived in the United Kingdom in the 1900s.[2] [3] He said: "My great-grandparents were born in Vilnius and Odesa. One was a tailor. His wife, a seamstress."[2] His family lived in Hadley Wood, near Barnet, and was Reform Jewish: "Synagogue three times a year, and Friday-night dinners every week."[3] His father was a cinephile, with whom he frequently watched David Lean, Sidney Lumet, Sydney Pollack, and Billy Wilder movies.[3] [4]

Glazer attended the Jewish Free School, then located in the borough of Camden.[5] During his childhood, he participated in the Givat Washington programme, spending five months in a religious boarding school in Israel. After finishing high school, he went to art school, "because drawing was... the only thing he was good at".[5]

After graduating with an emphasis in theatre design from Nottingham Trent University, Glazer began his career directing theatre and making film and television trailers.[4] [6]

Career

1993–1999: Early work and short films

In 1993, Glazer wrote and directed three short films ("Mad", "Pool" and "Commission"), and joined Academy Commercials, a production company based in Central London. He directed campaigns for Guinness (Dreamer, Swimblack and Surfer)[7] [8] and Stella Artois (Devil's Island).[9]

Glazer directed two music videos for the rock band Radiohead, "Street Spirit" (1996) and "Karma Police" (1997). He named "Street Spirit" as a turning point in his work: "I knew when I finished that, because [Radiohead] found their own voices as an artist, at that point, I felt like I got close to whatever mine was, and I felt confident that I could do things that emoted, that had some kind of poetic as well as prosaic value."[10]

Glazer won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Direction in 1997 for his work on "Karma Police" and Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" (1996).[11] He was unsatisfied with his "Karma Police" video, saying he had "missed emotionally and dramatically". He described his video for the 1998 single "Rabbit in Your Headlights", by Unkle and the Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, as a more successful "partner" to the "Karma Police" video. Glazer's 1999 television advert "Surfer", for Guinness, was voted the best of all time in a poll conducted by Channel 4 and The Sunday Times the following year.

2000–2011: Sexy Beast and Birth

Glazer was set to direct the film Gangster No. 1, written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto, but was replaced after disagreements with the producers regarding casting. Glazer left the production along with Mellis and Scinto.[12] [13] In 2000, Glazer worked with Mellis and Scinto again, directing his first feature, the gangster film Sexy Beast.[14] Ben Kingsley was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[15] In 2004, Glazer directed his second feature film, Birth, starring Nicole Kidman.[16]

In 2001, Glazer directed the "Odyssey" spot for Levi Strauss jeans.[17] [18] In 2006, he directed the second Sony BRAVIA TV advertisement, which took ten days and 250 people to film. It was filmed at an estate in Glasgow, and featured paint exploding all over the tower blocks.[19] Later the same year, he was commissioned to make a television advert for the new Motorola Red phone. The advertisement, showing two naked black bodies emerging from a lump of flesh rotating on a potter's wheel, was due to air in September 2006 but was shelved by Motorola. The advertisement was to benefit several charities in Africa.

2013: Under the Skin

In 2013, Glazer directed Under the Skin, a loose adaptation of the 2000 novel by Michel Faber, starring Scarlett Johansson. It premiered at the 2013 Telluride Film Festival and received a theatrical release in 2014.[20] The film was named the best film of 2014 by numerous critics and publications,[21] was included in many best-of-the-decade lists, and ranked 61st on the BBC's 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century list, an international poll of 177 top critics.[22]

2019–present: The Zone of Interest

Glazer's fourth feature film, The Zone of Interest, based loosely on the 2014 novel by Martin Amis, premiered at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival to acclaim.[23] It competed for the Palme d'Or,[24] and won the Grand Prix and FIPRESCI Prize.[25] At the 96th Academy Awards, The Zone of Interest won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film.

In his acceptance speech, Glazer addressed the ongoing Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip:[26] [27] [28] [29]

Personal life

Known to be discreet about his private life,[30] Glazer is married to the visual effects supervisor Rachael Penfold.[31] They live in Camden, North London with their three children. He is Jewish.[4] [32] Glazer named Stanley Kubrick as his favourite director and said he was close to Italian and Russian cinema. His influences include Ingmar Bergman, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Federico Fellini, and Pier Paolo Pasolini.

Filmography

Feature films

YearTitlewidth=65 Directorwidth=65 Writer
2000Sexy Beast
2004Birth
2013Under the Skin
2023The Zone of Interest

Short films

YearTitlewidth=65 Directorwidth=65 WriterNotes
1994MadAlso producer and editor
1997Commission
2019The Fall
2020Strasbourg 1518TV short
First Light: Alexander McQueen

Music videos

YearTitleArtistNotes
1995"Karmacoma"Massive Attack
"The Universal"Blur
1996"Street Spirit (Fade Out)"Radiohead
"Virtual Insanity"Jamiroquai
1997"Into My Arms"Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
"Karma Police"Radiohead
1998"Rabbit in Your Headlights"UNKLE ft. Thom Yorke
2000"A Song for the Lovers"Richard Ashcroft
2006"Live with Me"Massive Attack
2009"Treat Me Like Your Mother"The Dead Weather

Commercials

YearTitleCompany
"Husband to Be"Kodak
"Linda 2"Pretty Polly
"Shock of the New"Mazda
"Chief Executive's Wife"AT&T
"City"Club Med
"Sales Director"AT&T
1996"Frozen Moment"Nike
"New York"Caffrey's
1997"Parklife"Nike
1998"Swimblack"Guinness
"Lamppost"BT Easyreach
1999"Surfer"Guinness
2000"Kung Fu"Levi Strauss
"Last Orders"Stella Artois
"Devil's Island"
"Protection"Volkswagen Polo
"Whatever You Ride"Wrangler
2001"Dreamer"Guinness
2002"Odyssey"Levi Strauss
2003"Evil"Barclays
"Bull"
"Chicken"
2004"Bar"[33] Band Aid 20
"Double Don"
"Rant"
"Razor"
2006"Ice Skating Priests"Stella Artois
"Paint"Sony BRAVIA
"Clay"[34] Motorola Red
2010"Temptation"Cadbury's Flake
"Kaka"Sony 3D
"Last Tango in Compton"[35] Volkswagen Polo
2013"The Ring"[36] Audi
2019"Flight"Apple
2024"The Galleria"[37] Prada

Awards and nominations

!Award!Year!Category!Nominated work!Result!Ref.
Academy Awards2024Best Adapted ScreenplayThe Zone of Interest[39]
Best Director
BAFTA Awards2001Outstanding British FilmSexy Beast
2015Under the Skin
2024The Zone of Interest
Best Film Not in the English Language
Best Direction
Best Screenplay (Adapted)
Boston Society of Film Critics2023Best Adapted Screenplay
Best Director
British Independent Film Awards2001Best DirectorSexy Beast
2013Under the Skin
Camerimage2023Golden FrogThe Zone of Interest
Cannes Film Festival2023Palme d'Or
FIPRESCI Prize
Grand Prix
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards2002Most Promising Filmmaker
2014Best Adapted ScreenplayUnder the Skin
2023The Zone of Interest
European Film Awards2023Best European Film
Best European Director
Best European Screenwriter
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards2023Best Director
Gotham Awards2014Audience AwardUnder the Skin
Best Feature
2023Best International FeatureThe Zone of Interest
Best Screenplay
Independent Spirit Awards2002Best International FilmSexy Beast
2015Under the Skin
2024The Zone of Interest
MTV Video Music Awards1997Best Direction"Virtual Insanity"
Best Editing
Best Special Effects
1998Best Direction"Karma Police"
Satellite Awards2002Best DirectorSexy Beast
2024The Zone of Interest
Best Adapted Screenplay
Venice Film Festival2004Golden LionBirth
2013Under the Skin

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BFI Screenonline: Glazer, Jonathan (1965-) Biography . . 7 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230404071905/http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/581654/index.html . 4 April 2023.
  2. News: fr . Jonathan Glazer : " Le mal était là, à Auschwitz, et il fallait lui faire face " . Forestier . François . 28 January 2024 . . 7 February 2024 . subscription . https://archive.today/20240207230743/https://www.nouvelobs.com/cinema/20240128.OBS83820/jonathan-glazer-le-mal-etait-la-a-auschwitz-et-il-fallait-lui-faire-face.html . 7 February 2024.
  3. News: 'These people absolutely could be us': Jonathan Glazer on his film about the mastermind of Auschwitz . Collin . Robbie . 24 January 2024 . . 7 February 2024 . https://archive.today/20240207231449/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2024/01/13/jonathan-glazer-the-zone-of-interest-interview/ . 7 February 2024.
  4. News: Under the Skin: why did this chilling masterpiece take a decade? . Leigh . Danny . 6 March 2014 . . 7 February 2024 . https://archive.today/20140430185548/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/mar/06/under-the-skin-director-jonathan-glazer-scarlett-johansson . 30 April 2014.
  5. He's turned the screen Scarlett after a long and alien journey. Jonathan . Glazer . . 7 February 2024 . https://archive.today/20240207231825/https://www.thejc.com/life-and-culture/tv/curb-your-enthusiasm-season-12-review-larry-david-is-still-sharp-as-ever-s46cbh05 . 7 February 2024.
  6. News: Child abuse ad scoops top gong . Cozens . Claire . 13 March 2003 . . 7 February 2024 . 30 December 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231230070627/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/mar/13/advertising1 . live .
  7. News: Guinness unveils new advert. Cozens. Claire. 6 April 2001. 16 July 2024. The Guardian. en-GB . 0261-3077. https://web.archive.org/web/20240716110839/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2001/apr/06/advertising. 16 July 2024. live.
  8. News: Cheers! A history of beer brands in Creative Review. Burgoyne. Patrick. 12 July 2018. 16 July 2024. Creative Review. 0262-1037. https://web.archive.org/web/20240716104316/https://www.creativereview.co.uk/cheers-a-history-of-beer-brands-in-creative-review/. 16 July 2024. live.
  9. News: We're only here for the beer. Cozens. Claire . 2 February 2003. 16 July 2024. The Guardian. en-GB . 0261-3077. https://web.archive.org/web/20240716110620/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2003/feb/03/mondaymediasection4. 16 July 2024. live.
  10. News: Kaufman . Anthony . 12 June 2001 . Shooting the "Beast"; Jonathan Glazer Tames the Gangster Genre . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20071213055646/http://www.indiewire.com/people/int_Glazer_Jonathan_010612.html . 13 December 2007 . 8 January 2008 . Indiewire.
  11. Web site: Tobias . Scott . 4 April 2014 . Director Jonathan Glazer on Under The Skins complex honesty . 6 August 2019 . The Dissolve.
  12. Web site: Guinness was good for him. Calhoun. David. The Guardian. 4 October 2004. 25 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240725182525/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2004/oct/05/advertising. 25 July 2024. live.
  13. Web site: Louis Mellis and David Scinto: Partners in and out of crime. Dawtrey. Adam. The Guardian. 14 January 2010. 25 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240725183009/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/jan/14/mellis-scinto-44-inch-chest-interview. 25 July 2024. live.
  14. News: Guinness director grows up: CINEMA: Nigel Andrews meets 'Sexy Beast' Jonathan Glazer as his first feature prepares to open. Nigel. Andrews. The Financial Times. London. en-GB. 5 January 2001. 25 July 2024. . ProQuest. registration. live.
  15. Web site: Sexy Beast . British Film Institute . 21 July 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110802023952/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/title/620869 . 2 August 2011 . dead .
  16. Web site: The films that time forgot. David Thomson. The Guardian. 19 August 2010. 16 July 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240716100530/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/aug/19/cinema-lost-unknown-classics. 16 July 2024. live.
  17. Web site: Commercials at Framestore CFC: Levi "Odyssey" . 24 October 2006 . dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20061018192708/http://www.framestore-cfc.com/commercials/levi_odyssey/index.html . 18 October 2006 .
  18. Web site: Levis Engineered Jeans in Odyssey. The Inspiration Room. December 2005. 16 November 2008. 10 January 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160110054522/http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2005/levis-engineered-jeans-odyssey. dead.
  19. Web site: Bravia Advert – Just another WordPress site. www.bravia-advert.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20061019163350/http://www.bravia-advert.com/paint/thead/ . 19 October 2006.
  20. Web site: Pamela . McClintock . Scarlett Johansson gets 'Under the Skin' . . 3 November 2010 . 3 November 2010 . 7 November 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101107004958/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118026831?refCatId=13 . live .
  21. Web site: The Best Movies of the Decade (2010-19), According to Film Critics. Metacritic. 24 October 2020. 1 January 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200101162640/https://www.metacritic.com/feature/best-movies-of-the-decade-2010s. dead.
  22. Web site: The 21st Century's 100 greatest films. 18 April 2017. 28 October 2020. 31 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170131124228/http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films. live.
  23. Web site: The Zone of Interest, critic reviews. 23 May 2023. 24 May 2023. metacritic.com. 24 May 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230524150449/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-zone-of-interest/critic-reviews. live.
  24. Web site: Sharf. Zack. 23 October 2019. Seven Years After 'Under the Skin,' Jonathan Glazer Ready to Film Next Movie With A24. 3 January 2021. IndieWire. en. 23 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210123141021/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/10/jonathan-glazer-a24-holocaust-movie-under-the-skin-1202184334/. live.
  25. Web site: 27 May 2023 . The 76th Festival de Cannes winners' list . 28 May 2023 . Festival de Cannes . en-US . 28 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230528022637/https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/press/press-releases/the-76th-festival-de-cannes-winners-list/ . live .
  26. News: Pulver . Andrew . Shoard . Catherine . 2024-03-11 . 'We stand here as Jewish men who refute the Holocaust being hijacked': Jonathan Glazer calls for end to Gaza attacks at Oscars . 2024-03-11 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077 . 11 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240311085412/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/11/zone-of-interest-international-film-oscar . live .
  27. Web site: Jonathan Glazer's Warning at the Oscars. 11 March 2024. Daily Beast. 12 March 2024. 12 March 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240312024707/https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2024/03/jonathan-glazer-israel-gaza-speech/677714/. live.
  28. Web site: Siegel . Tatiana . 18 March 2024 . Over 1,000 Jewish Creatives and Professionals Have Now Denounced Jonathan Glazer's 'Zone of Interest' Oscars Speech in Open Letter (EXCLUSIVE) . 20 March 2024 . . 18 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240318203126/https://variety.com/2024/film/news/jonathan-glazer-oscar-speech-zone-of-interest-open-letter-1235944880/ . live .
  29. Web site: Joaquin Phoenix and Joel Coen sign open letter in support of Glazer's Oscar speech . Anguiano . Dani . . April 5, 2024 . May 27, 2024 .
  30. News: Jonathan Glazer interview: 'It felt as if we were under siege' . Romney . Jonathan . 12 July 2014 . . 7 February 2024 . https://archive.today/20140715072116/http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/jul/12/jonathan-glazer-interview-under-the-skin-siege . 15 July 2014.
  31. News: Jonathan Glazer Wife: Meet Rachel Penfold . Quarshie . Barbara . 24 January 2024 . ABTC . 7 February 2024 . 7 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240207065043/https://abtc.ng/jonathan-glazer-wife-meet-rachel-penfold . live .
  32. News: 'We stand here as Jewish men who refute the Holocaust being hijacked': Jonathan Glazer calls for end to Gaza attacks at Oscars . The Guardian . 11 March 2024 . Pulver . Andrew . Shoard . Catherine . 11 March 2024 . 11 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240311085412/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/11/zone-of-interest-international-film-oscar . live .
  33. News: Deans . Jason . 2 December 2004 . Kingsley reprises Sexy Beast role for Band Aid ads . . London . 20 February 2014 . 27 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140227185529/http://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/dec/02/advertising.film . live .
  34. News: . Jonathan Glazer's Motorola Red ad faces chop . . London . 16 November 2006 . 20 February 2014 . 11 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240411214145/https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/jonathan-glazers-motorola-red-ad-faces-chop/604966 . live .
  35. Sloan . Pat . 12 November 2010 . Volkswagen and DDB UK launch epic new Polo campaign – Jonathan Glazer directs stunning "Last Tango in Compton" . London . . 20 February 2014 . 23 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140223221727/http://www.scribd.com/doc/42638421/11-12-10-DDB-UK-VW-Last-Tango . live .
  36. Web site: Audi 'The Ring' (Director's Cut) by Jonathan Glazer . . Academy Films . 20 February 2014 . 27 February 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140227183811/http://www.academyfilms.com/blog/audi-the-ring-directors-cut-by-jonathan-glazer . live .
  37. Web site: Rahman. Abid. Jonathan Glazer, Scarlett Johansson Reunite for Prada Ad. April 3, 2024. July 20, 2024 . The Hollywood Reporter.
  38. Web site: Watch: Channel 4's Surreal And Beautiful New Brand Identi - The Playlist. Kevin Jagernauth. 30 September 2015. The Playlist. 1 October 2015. 3 October 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151003120745/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-channel-4s-surreal-and-beautiful-new-brand-identity-spots-directed-by-jonathan-glazer-20150930. live.
  39. News: Ryan . Patrick . 24 January 2024 . 'Zone of Interest': How the Oscar-nominated Holocaust drama depicts an 'ambient genocide' . 30 January 2024 . . en-US . 29 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240129142053/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2024/01/24/zone-of-interest-holocaust-movie-oscars/72318484007/ . live .

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