Study On David Lean’s Films

David Lean, a British film director, occupies an important position both in the British film history and in the world film history, and he demands perfection on films so that his films are often well-known as well-made. After a depth analysis, it is not difficult to find that the ideal and the reality are the two dimensions of David Lean’s thought and expression.This thesis starting with the ideal and the reality is divided into four chapters to make a comprehensive interpretation. The first chapter analyzes the characters finding that the main characters in David Lean’s films have gone through a process from simple to complex. The simple characters sustenance David Lean’s patriotism and ideals of human kindness, and the complex real characters are mainly reflected in the love affairs and exotic culture stimulating. From the theme interpretation of the second chapter we find that the ideal construction of sexual relations and the reality reflections on the national culture are the two social issues of David Lean’s concern. The director’s ideal construction of sexual relations bases on male’s dominance gradually subsiding and women’s pursuit of freedom and love. This is the director’s fine hope for better relations between the sexes. His reflections on the national culture have more reality and heaviness. Director’s understanding of national culture has undergone a process of recognition and praise to reflection and criticism. The third chapter focuses on the analysis of flexible narrative strategies in the works frorrr two aspects:narrative perspective, narrative time and space, and how these narrative strategies serve his expression of the ideal and the reality. The fourth chapter analyzes David Lean’s video style with great originality from two aspects:ingenious montage thinking and creative use of the camera. This paper tries to enrich the theoretical study of David Lean in domestic film industry, and it is in order to have a significance for the domestic film making up.