Eren Ozkural
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Hi all,
Just wanted to chime in with some of my thoughts and feelings about Christopher Lee accepting his Bafta Fellowship tonight.
I felt sad. To be more precise I kind of felt like crying. A little background first...
I have been such a big fan of Christopher Lee, not just as an actor but as a singer and more than that as a human being with his work for various charities.
The films he worked in were some of the most influential ones that led to my career as a filmmaker. I wouldn't say he starred in them as it seems like such a vapid and vain description for his body of work. I really felt that he led these films. His presence, both physical, vocal and mental seem beyond mere superlatives.
To many he was a living embodiment of supernatural powers. Lord Somerisle, Count Dracula, Saruman the White. These are just some of the roles that he totally owned as his own.
To others he represented the embodiment of the father figure. Tall, imposing with a baritone voice that can seemingly impart aeons of wisdom and comfort.
To me he was hope. At the age of 25 I'm just now graduating from making TV shows and supporting positions in filmmaking to directing feature films. I have always lived in the hope that I would one day get to...direct is not the word I'm looking for. "work with" doesn't do justice to the man. I guess I was looking forward to one day crafting something together with him and rather than just take from the man and his considerable wisdom and expertise but perhaps offer him a role that he would enjoy immensely and perhaps touch him. I wanted to give something back to him after all he's given the public.
After witnessing his frail state at the 2011 Baftas I have to face the facts that this will most likely not happen.
This reminds of phases we all go through in life. When we are infants our fathers are like supermen to us. Invincible. Just. During adolescence we rebel. We hold our fathers against the light of truth and see that they're not always right. That they have faults too.
As we mature and our fathers age the bitter sting of realisation hits us that this man we love is as fragile as anyone else and that our time together will be fleeting.
I could see that the audience at the 2011 Bafta ceremony were moved as well. The clips that preceded his acceptance speech featured most of his iconic roles. Roles in which he was a supernatural, unstoppable force. With his silver mane and deep dark eyes he seemed to defy age.
And then he walked on stage with the help of a walking stick looking...well, frail. This sudden and great contrast was apparent to all. He went on to say that he was lucky that his fellowship was not granted posthumously as it happened to Stanley Kubrick.
They cut away to Emma Stone who seemed to have a lump in her throat. Good. It proved that I wasn't the only one...
I know people who have worked with him and they offer nothing but the best opinions of the man. My own contact with him has been extremely tenuous as I asked him a question about his Opera/Metal career during a Q&A some years back.
I hope he stays healthy and strong. I hope my career goes really well really fast because It would be an absolute dream to one day have him act in one of my films.
Odds are it won't happen...and as i saw tonight I may not get this chance like I always hoped I would ever since I was a 5 year old boy watching him in Hammer Horror movies.
Still, one can only hope.
Sorry about this emotional ramble. I just felt like I needed to get something off my chest and the girlfriend is asleep right now.
Just wanted to chime in with some of my thoughts and feelings about Christopher Lee accepting his Bafta Fellowship tonight.
I felt sad. To be more precise I kind of felt like crying. A little background first...
I have been such a big fan of Christopher Lee, not just as an actor but as a singer and more than that as a human being with his work for various charities.
The films he worked in were some of the most influential ones that led to my career as a filmmaker. I wouldn't say he starred in them as it seems like such a vapid and vain description for his body of work. I really felt that he led these films. His presence, both physical, vocal and mental seem beyond mere superlatives.
To many he was a living embodiment of supernatural powers. Lord Somerisle, Count Dracula, Saruman the White. These are just some of the roles that he totally owned as his own.
To others he represented the embodiment of the father figure. Tall, imposing with a baritone voice that can seemingly impart aeons of wisdom and comfort.
To me he was hope. At the age of 25 I'm just now graduating from making TV shows and supporting positions in filmmaking to directing feature films. I have always lived in the hope that I would one day get to...direct is not the word I'm looking for. "work with" doesn't do justice to the man. I guess I was looking forward to one day crafting something together with him and rather than just take from the man and his considerable wisdom and expertise but perhaps offer him a role that he would enjoy immensely and perhaps touch him. I wanted to give something back to him after all he's given the public.
After witnessing his frail state at the 2011 Baftas I have to face the facts that this will most likely not happen.
This reminds of phases we all go through in life. When we are infants our fathers are like supermen to us. Invincible. Just. During adolescence we rebel. We hold our fathers against the light of truth and see that they're not always right. That they have faults too.
As we mature and our fathers age the bitter sting of realisation hits us that this man we love is as fragile as anyone else and that our time together will be fleeting.
I could see that the audience at the 2011 Bafta ceremony were moved as well. The clips that preceded his acceptance speech featured most of his iconic roles. Roles in which he was a supernatural, unstoppable force. With his silver mane and deep dark eyes he seemed to defy age.
And then he walked on stage with the help of a walking stick looking...well, frail. This sudden and great contrast was apparent to all. He went on to say that he was lucky that his fellowship was not granted posthumously as it happened to Stanley Kubrick.
They cut away to Emma Stone who seemed to have a lump in her throat. Good. It proved that I wasn't the only one...
I know people who have worked with him and they offer nothing but the best opinions of the man. My own contact with him has been extremely tenuous as I asked him a question about his Opera/Metal career during a Q&A some years back.
I hope he stays healthy and strong. I hope my career goes really well really fast because It would be an absolute dream to one day have him act in one of my films.
Odds are it won't happen...and as i saw tonight I may not get this chance like I always hoped I would ever since I was a 5 year old boy watching him in Hammer Horror movies.
Still, one can only hope.
Sorry about this emotional ramble. I just felt like I needed to get something off my chest and the girlfriend is asleep right now.
