Each was plagued with constant self-doubt, bouts of depression, and enormous egos. These battles are commonly referred to as a film's 'backstory.' Biskind recounts the backstories of many of the period's biggest films, 'Bonnie and Clyde', 'The Godfather', 'Mean Streets', 'Jaws', 'Star Wars', and 'Apocalypse Now' among them.Īt the height of the 'golden era,' the auteurs celebrated enormous wealth and fame, but it came with a price. To maintain their vision, the directors often waged battles with the studios, ranging anywhere from casting choices to budget overruns. The goal of each was artistic and financial independence from the studios.

Unlike their predecessors such as Howard Hawks and John Ford, who complained of being 'hired hands,' these young directors were auteurs who wanted to control the mood and vision of their films. Scorsese, and Robert Altman were among the new breed of young and ambitious directors who made powerful, personal films, trying to emulate their European heroes - Truffaut, Fellini, and Bergman. (CNN) - Peter Biskind's 'Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How The Sex, Drugs and Rock-'n-Roll Generation Saved Hollywood' chronicles the rebellious, turbulent and heady times of 'The New Hollywood,' a term coined to describe the golden era of filmmaking from the late 60s to the early 80s.įrancis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, Martin

CNN - Books: Reviews -'Easy Riders, Raging Bulls' - April 29, 1998

Peter biskind easy riders raging bulls