Dear Ladies and Gentleman,
Last summer at the San Francisco Film Festival Steven Soderbergh gave a long speech about the death of cinema. As one of my favorite auteurs this news was sad and troubling. He spoke of the tremendous difficulty with financing and getting artistic projects green lighted. He explained that he was retiring from the film industry. Thank Soderbergh for choosing not to stop creating. Television is the new springboard that a variety of auteurs are utilizing. David Fincher with "House of Cards," Oliver Stone with "A Peoples History", and Martin Scorsese with "Boardwalk Empire". However a fundamental difference between Soderbergh and these directors is he himself was behind the camera for every part of the creative process. Soderbergh created "Behind the Candelabra" for cable and it was a great biopic about Liberace. I am so thrilled to hear and witness Soderbergh's latest project for cable. Television seems to be the perfect avenue for a variety of esteemed talent to make serious adult dramas.
The "Knick" is a nine episode series created by Soderbergh. He directed all nine episodes personally. The "Knick" is an exhilarating joyride into scientific innovation circa 1900 New York City. The first episode hits the viewer like a fever dream. The pace is fast for a period piece. Soderbergh did not want to romanticize the time period. We meet the lead character an unflinching anti-hero Clive Owen who is determined to make innovations in medicine at all costs. Owen's character is called Dr. Thackery and he is addicted to cocaine, has bad manners, but wants to make advancements in medicine no matter what wall gets in the way. He is a character who is driven like a mad man. The themes that the "Knick" seems to address are topics like class, race, gender, and corruption. Looking at science through the lens of Dr. Thackery is fascinating for a viewer. He loves learning and knowledge and advancing medicine, yet is completely self-destructive. Only Soderbergh could create such a unique character and let him run wild. The series feels fresh and alive. I don't know what to compare it to.
At the Los Angeles County Museum of Art an early screening of episode one was a treat for myself and all whom attended. The cast and crew were in attendance as well as Soderbergh and his latest muse Clive Owen. Soderbergh stated when asked about his retirement? He responded, "What could I say I was fired up!" The script apparently got his artistic juices flowing and the wheels turning in head. The result for the audience was off the hook. Clive Owen, claimed "I was thrilled to be working with Steven, then I read the script and I asked myself how am I going to play this character for this long with this intensity?" Apparently the schedule was extremely tight and all shooting was done in three months. The second season for the "Knick" has already been green-lit with Soderbergh at the helm!
Summit Cinema wishes to thank all the hits from around the world! Japan, Italy, France, and Russia are definitely in the house!
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