Baz Luhrmann Intervies (conversations With Filmmakers Series) [Paperback]

Though he has made only five films in two decadesStrictly Ballroom, William Shakespeares Romeo + Juliet, and the Oscar-nominated films Moulin Rouge!, Australia, and The Great GatsbyAustralian writer-director Baz Luhrmann is an internationally known brand name. His name has even entered the English language as a verb, as in to Baz things up, meaning to decorate them with an exuberant flourish. Celebrated by some, loathed by others, his work is underscored by what has been described as an aesthetic of artifice and is notable for both its glittering surfaces and recurring concerns.

In this collection of interviews, Luhrmann discusses his methods and his motives, explaining what has been important to him and his collaborators from the start and how he has been able to maintain an independence from the studios that have backed his films. He also speaks about his other artistic endeavors, including stage productions of La Boh?me and A Midsummer Nights Dream, and his wife and collaborative partner Catherine Martin, who has received two Academy Awards for her work with Luhrmann.