David O. Russell On His Style & How He Makes Films

“I like the scariness of walking into a studio and not knowing all the answers.”
BAFTA-winning writer and director David O. Russell discusses finding the extraordinary in the ordinary as a filmmaker and shares his techniques for creating characters from writing through to shooting.
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[@mickeyromeo]

i've never seen him so calm before

[@NOVREVGaming]

Where else have you seen him? Has he threatened you?

[@NOVREVGaming]

Never mind, I saw the Lily Tomlin video

[@madstylesnz]

@@NOVREVGamingJust watched that vid, he’s got quite the temper. The guy has a bad reputation I wouldn’t want to work with him.

[@Elayzee]

Yeah, the Academy and entertainment industry in general should just keep letting him abuse his cast and crew, and keep ignoring his terrible abusive behavior off-set too.

[@abrahamlupis9354]

David O Russell didn't slap a man on a live ceremony, that's the big difference

[@4hotpink10]

his style includes jennifer lawrence and bradley cooper too

[@mikeyds0425]

And Robert De Niro

[@Jonseygorl]

He reminds me of an obnoxious Martin Scorsese-wannabe, without the heart or likability

[@_ethanmc]

The act of telling someone your idea for a screenplay is probably the most important method of deciding whether it's worth pursuing or not. If you tell your friends about it and they don't care, it's probably not a good idea. The best ideas will raise questions, at least from my limited experience.

[@Hannah24uk]

He’s an abuser. If a woman had even 1/100th the bad feedback they would be pushed out of the industry. It’s amazing what men can get away with.

[@abrahamlupis9354]

screaming and kicking isn't the same as insinuating and asking for favors

[@468David]

Excellent interview/insights.

[@WarSwan]

Lmfao look up him breaking down on set. Its hilarious!

[@rubenvillan7984]

I am disgusted with this man. He is a horrible human being. He has verbally abused his cast and crew, including Lily Tomlin on the set of I Heart Huckabees. I am an aspiring filmmaker but I will never work with this guy.

[@dai701]

Ruben...I got my SAG pension in 2002, have seen just about everything in this biz...have learned not to pass judgment when the creative process is happening. Both Dave and Lily want to work with the other again, both are genius' , you saying "never" is too sad, get over it for your own good.

[@rubenvillan7984]

lasagrep kahaluu What you need to understand is that this guy is a huge asshole to the people he works with. I will never call this guy a great filmmaker. It's like calling a bully who tormented you in high school "the best person I've ever met". This guy has a reputation for being tyrannical and treating his actors like trash. Don't tell me to get over it because right now you have to understand who this guy really is.

[@dai701]

Ruben Villan...Mark Twain said it best..."when I was 18 my father was really stupid, when I became 22 I was surprised at how much he had learned in 4 years". I happen to know David, have worked w/him, he is a sweet heart, he was vilified for Tomlin incident...he rues that day, he's been making up for it everyday since. Let it go, lest it affects you too. Besides you sound much too self righteous...fake?

[@rubenvillan7984]

lasagrep kahaluu No! I wasn't being self righteous. I was just saying that this guy is still the person he was in the past. He abused Amy Adams on the set of American Hustle so hard, he made her cry. Christian Bale had to interfere and tell him to stop acting like such a jerk. This was linked in the Sony emails. I literally don't think he's a nice guy. He is still the same person who insults and abuses his cast and crew. I'm glad that you used a quote from Marl Twain. When people do something, they later learn in the future. Anybody can make mistakes. However, David is still the same tyrannical person he was when he was a young man.

[@dai701]

Ruben Villan...Ask Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, JLaw, Lili Tomlin, George Clooney if they want to work w/David O. Russell again...they wouldn't pause a single second for a "yes" answer. The nature of "creativity" as you should know is a "genius" found very rarely in our industry, very fleeting...David is known as an ACTORS DIRECTOR...any actor worth his salt wants to work w/him, those who don't feel that THEY are not good enough to meet the sometimes difficult emotions asked of them. They are asked to go where they have never gone before, produce what they have never produced before...Oscar nominations are NOT a fluke w/David's films, back to back films where ALL the actors are nominated...unheard of. YOU should WANT to work w/the best, you should want to be put where very few are asked to go, that is what all GOOD actors aspire to, the actors that don't have this drive have NOT the skills needed yet and they know it. There is no "safety net" w/David, either produce or fail, the frustration you see w/Lili and David is from this failure, the GENIUS is so elusive that only RAW emotions erupt, neither can articulate this "failure", this creative process should NOT be used as an example of "bad" behavior...you should know better...this is a facet of THE PROCESS...one facet of many. I hope you'll get to experience this w/great directors like David O. Russell, very few actors get this privilege.

[@kreipflagra3116]

Is this the guy that screamed at an actress calling her a c**t and stuff?

[@maddymud]

AND got punched by Clooney

[@helmutwoltemath4591]

David O. Russel ist ein ein introvertiertes, überhebliches AL, aber kein Regisseur!

[@Mediagix]

Hey there, which camera did you use?

[@bryanmilla7402]

te admiro eres un gran director, vi todas tus producciones y son de las mejores pones esa esencia que la hace perfecta....Gracias!!

[@ivobyrt]

XD

[@JM-ll2vv]

He's a bit creepy

[@chanceneck8072]

Erm, ah... eh.. ah....

[@anomalight]

BAFTA: your pull-quote is incorrect.

[@MattDW45]

This is fantastic. I've got to see his movies.

[@maryswift5441]

I love this guy and love his movies

[@rubenvillan7984]

mary swift I hate this guy and I hate his movies.

[@dai701]

mary swift...good to hear informed comments here, too many trolls here otherwise. Actors know real talent, those who don't only know negativity, truth is ALL actors want to work w/David eventually...because he is the best and actors want to work w/the best. To do otherwise would only show a lack of confidence and knowledge of the craft.

[@Mrstobastoba]

@@dai701 You can be a great director and not an asshole, David seems to struggle to be both. I hope Amsterdam will change my mind, but I've worked with enough filmmakers to know that on set abuse isn't justified at all.

[@ad.am.j]

Abusing his cast is prob an important aspect of it

[@diegopisfil614]

He is one of the worst directors of the world like Stephen Daldry, Woody Allen, Clint Eastwood and Sam Mendes

[@bigdustybigtonka6912]

Clint has fallen off in recent years but he's made fantastic films. Unforgiven, Letters to Iwo Jima, and heartbreak ridge are fantastic films. Get your head out of your ass, although i agree with the rest you listed.

[@Zachd500]

Worst at directing or at being a good person?

[@cameronvelska4610]

@@Zachd500 both

[@TheJcg14]

@@cameronvelska4610 I heart Huckabees rocks WTF you talking about

[@Anne-yi5sb]

Russell is a GENIUS writer and director. My favorite movie is ‘Flirting With Disaster’. I love him because there are few original, really good screenwriters these days. It seems like more & more old movies are being remade. For instance: ‘ THE SHINING’ with Steven Weber & Anne Heche? That’s sacrilegious! And the remake of ‘The Great Gatsby’.

[@charliemuskrat]

He’s also a real prick