He started his film career by contributing to the visual look of Lawrence of Arabia and Roger Corman's The Masque of the Red Death, and co-directing Performance in 1970. He would later direct such landmark films as Walkabout, Don't Look Now and The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Roeg's films are known for having scenes and images from the plot presented in a disarranged fashion, out of chronological and causal order, requiring the viewer to do the work of mentally rearranging them to comprehend the storyline. They seem, "to shatter reality into a thousand pieces" and are "unpredictable, fascinating, cryptic and liable to leave you wondering what the hell just happened. . . ."
Roeg displays a "freedom from conventional film narration," and his films often consist of an "intriguing kaleidoscopic multiplication of images."
A characteristic of Roeg's films is that they are edited in disjunctive and semi-coherent ways that make full sense only in the film's final moments, when a crucial piece of information surfaces; they are "mosaic-like montages [filled with] elliptical details which become very important later." These techniques, and Roeg's foreboding sense of atmosphere, have influenced later filmmakers such as Steven Soderbergh, Tony Scott, Ridley Scott, Christopher Nolan, François Ozon and Danny Boyle.
Roeg's influence on cinema is not limited to deconstructing narrative. The "Memo From Turner" sequence in Performance predates many techniques later used in music videos. And the "quadrant" sequence in Bad Timing, in which the thoughts of Theresa Russell and Art Garfunkel are heard before words are spoken, set to Keith Jarrett's piano music from the Köln Concert, again stretched the boundaries of what could be done with film.
His work was documented at the Riverside Studios, London from 12-14 September 2008, showcasing nine of his films. He introduced the retrospective along with Miranda Richardson, who starred in Puffball.
The retrospective included Bad Timing, Puffball, Far from the Madding Crowd, The Man Who Fell to Earth, The Witches, Eureka, Don't Look Now and Insignificance. The London Film Academy organised this event for Roeg in honour of his patronage of the school.
Films as director
Features
Directed by Roeg
- Walkabout (1971)
- Don't Look Now (1973)
- The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
- Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (1980)
- Eureka (1983)
- Insignificance (1985)
- Castaway (1986)
- Track 29 (1988)
- The Witches (1990)
- Cold Heaven (1991)
- Two Deaths (1995)
- Puffball (2007)
Co-directed by Roeg
- Performance, with Donald Cammell (1970)
- Glastonbury Fayre (1972)
- Aria (1987) (segment: "Un ballo in maschera")
For more press here
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Nikolas Roeg's three first movies DOWNLOAD
Download Walkabout (1971) via torrent here
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Download Don't Look Now (1973) via torrent here
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Download The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976) via torrent here
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This song was inspired by films directed by Nicolas Roeg, including Performance (written & co-directed by Donald Cammell), Walkabout, Don't Look Now, The Man Who Fell to Earth, and Insignificance. Its lyrics refer directly to many of them. For example:
- "Took a trip to Powis Square, Pop star dyed his hair . . . When mobsters came to flush him out. Gangland slaying underground, New identity must be found. . .Insanity Bohemian style" refers to the two main characters in Performance, a retired rock star (played by Mick Jagger) and a gangster on the run (played by James Fox)
- "King of brains" - refers to Albert Einstein, a lead character in Insignificance (note also the reference to "relativity" in the chorus)
- "Queen of the sack" - refers to Marilyn Monroe, a lead character in Insignificance
- "Hall of fame baseball" - refers to Joe Dimaggio, a lead character in Insignificance
- "Senator's a hoodlum" - refers to Joe McCarthy, a lead character in Insignificance
- "Don't like no aborigine" - refers to one of the main characters in Walkabout, an Aborigine
- "Space guy fell from the sky" refers to The Man Who Fell to Earth starring David Bowie
- The 2nd verse (from "Met a dwarf who was no good" to "Gets to take the funeral ride") describes Don't Look Now Starring Donald Sutherland
- - "Why don't you play us a tune, pal?" - "I don't like music." - "Comical little geezer. You'll look funny when you're fifty." (Dialogue between Chas and Turner)
- "You know, I don't think I'm going to let you stay in the film business." (Chas)
- "Time for a change!" (Chas)
- "I like a bit of a cavort, I don't send 'em solicitor's letters. I apply a bit of pressure." (Chas)
- "Who do you think you are, the Lone Ranger? (...) You're Jack the Lad!" (Harry Flowers)
- "Putting a little stick about. Putting the frighteners on flash, little twerps." (Chas)
- "He's an ignorant boy. An out of date boy." (Flowers's associate)
- "United we stand, divided we're lumbered." (Harry Flowers)
- "At the death, who is left holding the sodding baby?" (Chas)
- "I know a thing or two about the clientèle. They're a bunch of liars and wrigglers. (...) Give 'em a bit of stick." (Chas)
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