n many ways, screenwriter and filmmaker Samuel Fuller was a maverick of American cinema. He staunchly avoided the Studio system and mainstream Hollywood, making films which were controversial and uncompromising. Working on a shoestring budget is never easy, but Fuller has mapped out a career which includes Shock Corridor, The Naked Kiss, Pick-up on South Street and his lifetime work, The Big Red One.
Funded through Kickstarter and directed by Fuller’s daughter Samantha, A Fuller Life is taken mainly from his autobiography: A Third Face. His daughter collects together a number of actors and directors who read from the book. This is set against the backdrop of clips from his films along with a wealth of Samuel Fuller’s own home movies and archive war footage.
It’s an interesting way to tell a story, and by marrying-up the text with clips from his films and other footage, gives a great insight into the psyche of the director. As befell many American directors who worked outside of Hollywood during the Cold War period, Samuel Fuller found himself under suspicion in his own country, whilst widely lauded in Europe. A Fuller Life is an impressive testament to a criminally underrated man.
A Fuller Life is out in cinemas from Friday.
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