Milius (2013)

Review: written Jan 2014

“He didn’t write for women, or pussies. He wrote for men.”

John Milius is a Hollywood character - a larger than life character, who has become somewhat lost or dimmed in people’s memories as his output has waned. His contemporaries wax lyrical about him, and his association with Spielberg, Coppola, Lucas et al was strong, and his impact on cinema, Hollywood careers and changing styles in Hollywood is significant. This movie seeks to rectify the fact that he is less well known that those contemporaries and explain his character and reputation. He was clearly one of the big macho directors, and was often seen with a gun, and the movie seeks to put that in context of Milius original desire to go to war, a frustration ultimately thwarted. Directing was, for him, the next best thing.

Bringing together a plethora of famous actors, directors and producers in a non fussy `talking heads' format, with just a few clips of Milius' work, the movie does a decent job of illuminating the man, the screenwriter and the director. If you have any interest in this key period in Hollywood history then the movie will keep you engaged, but it would be fair to say that there is a lack of artistic or theatrical flair in the presentation. Maybe the charisma and presence of the `teddy bear with an AK47' was considered enough to fill the screen.