Donald Cammell
Encyclopedia
Donald Seaton Cammell was a Scottish
film
director
who enjoys a cult
reputation thanks to his debut film Performance
, which he co-directed with Nicolas Roeg
.
(then known as Outlook Tower
) on Castlehill
, near the castle
in Edinburgh, Scotland
, the son of the poet and writer Charles Richard Cammell. The older Cammell wrote a biography of Aleister Crowley
focusing principally on the occultist's poetry. Crowley, who lived near the Cammells for a time, knew the young Donald. A prodigy
, he was a society portrait painter and thanks to family connections, a prominent fixture of the "swinging London
" social scene of the 1960s, specifically of what became known as the "Chelsea Set."
He wrote and co-directed Performance
with Nicolas Roeg
in 1968, though he didn't get another film produced until Demon Seed
in 1977. Cammell also made the eccentric horror
thriller White of the Eye
in 1987. Between infrequent film and TV directing jobs, Cammell directed music video
s for the likes of U2
.
When Cammell's 1995 film Wild Side was cut by the producer
, he committed suicide
in Hollywood
, California
by shooting himself. His wife claimed the wound was not immediately fatal and that he asked for a mirror so that he could watch himself die; the claim would later be disputed in Cammell's published biography. A posthumous "director's cut," commissioned by FilmFour
and edited by his widow and co-screenwriter China Kong
and editor Frank Mazzola, was released in 2000 to critical acclaim.
In 2005, Fan-Tan, a novel Cammell conceived with actor Marlon Brando
in 1978, was published.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
who enjoys a cult
Cult
The word cult in current popular usage usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre. The word originally denoted a system of ritual practices...
reputation thanks to his debut film Performance
Performance (film)
Performance is a 1968 British crime drama film; the film was produced in 1968 but not released until 1970. Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, Performance stars James Fox and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in his film acting debut.-Plot:...
, which he co-directed with Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Jack Roeg, CBE, BSC is an English film director and cinematographer.-Life and career:Roeg was born in London, the son of Mabel Gertrude and Jack Nicolas Roeg...
.
Biography
Cammell was born in the Camera ObscuraCamera obscura
The camera obscura is an optical device that projects an image of its surroundings on a screen. It is used in drawing and for entertainment, and was one of the inventions that led to photography. The device consists of a box or room with a hole in one side...
(then known as Outlook Tower
Outlook Tower
Outlook Tower is a building in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the Royal Mile next to Edinburgh Castle. Known as "Short's Observatory, Museum of Science and Art" from 1853 to 1892, it was purchased and refurbished by Patrick Geddes in 1892 to transform into a "place of outlook and a type-museum as a key...
) on Castlehill
Royal Mile
The Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
, near the castle
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
in Edinburgh, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the son of the poet and writer Charles Richard Cammell. The older Cammell wrote a biography of Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley , born Edward Alexander Crowley, and also known as both Frater Perdurabo and The Great Beast, was an influential English occultist, astrologer, mystic and ceremonial magician, responsible for founding the religious philosophy of Thelema. He was also successful in various other...
focusing principally on the occultist's poetry. Crowley, who lived near the Cammells for a time, knew the young Donald. A prodigy
Child prodigy
A child prodigy is someone who, at an early age, masters one or more skills far beyond his or her level of maturity. One criterion for classifying prodigies is: a prodigy is a child, typically younger than 18 years old, who is performing at the level of a highly trained adult in a very demanding...
, he was a society portrait painter and thanks to family connections, a prominent fixture of the "swinging London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
" social scene of the 1960s, specifically of what became known as the "Chelsea Set."
He wrote and co-directed Performance
Performance (film)
Performance is a 1968 British crime drama film; the film was produced in 1968 but not released until 1970. Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, Performance stars James Fox and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in his film acting debut.-Plot:...
with Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Roeg
Nicolas Jack Roeg, CBE, BSC is an English film director and cinematographer.-Life and career:Roeg was born in London, the son of Mabel Gertrude and Jack Nicolas Roeg...
in 1968, though he didn't get another film produced until Demon Seed
Demon Seed
Demon Seed is a 1977 American science fiction–horror film starring Julie Christie and directed by Donald Cammell. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Dean Koontz, and concerns the imprisonment and forced impregnation of a woman by an artificially-intelligent...
in 1977. Cammell also made the eccentric horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
thriller White of the Eye
White of the Eye (film)
White of the Eye is a 1987 British thriller film directed by Donald Cammell and starring David Keith and Cathy Moriarty. It was adapted in film by Donald Cammell and his wife China Kong from the novel Mrs. White, written by Laurence and Andrew Klavan....
in 1987. Between infrequent film and TV directing jobs, Cammell directed music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s for the likes of U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
.
When Cammell's 1995 film Wild Side was cut by the producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, he committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in Hollywood
Hollywood, Los Angeles, California
Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
by shooting himself. His wife claimed the wound was not immediately fatal and that he asked for a mirror so that he could watch himself die; the claim would later be disputed in Cammell's published biography. A posthumous "director's cut," commissioned by FilmFour
Film4
Film4 is a free digital television channel available in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, owned and operated by Channel 4, that screens films.-Programming:...
and edited by his widow and co-screenwriter China Kong
China Kong
China Kong is an American actor, writer, and producer of Asian descent.Kong is the widow of director Donald Cammell, having met him when she was 14 years of age and he was 40 years of age in 1974...
and editor Frank Mazzola, was released in 2000 to critical acclaim.
In 2005, Fan-Tan, a novel Cammell conceived with actor Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
in 1978, was published.
Performance
Cammell was a central figure in the making of Performance. In writing the screenplay he drew on his familiarity with the London underworld of the 1960s and association with the pop musicians of the day. In his collaboration with Roeg, Cammell concentrated on working with the actors and did most of the prolonged editing of the film in California; producer Sanford 'Sandy' Lieberson and co-director Roeg were busy on other projects.Filmography
- PerformancePerformance (film)Performance is a 1968 British crime drama film; the film was produced in 1968 but not released until 1970. Directed by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, Performance stars James Fox and Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones in his film acting debut.-Plot:...
, with Nicolas RoegNicolas RoegNicolas Jack Roeg, CBE, BSC is an English film director and cinematographer.-Life and career:Roeg was born in London, the son of Mabel Gertrude and Jack Nicolas Roeg...
(1968; released 1970) - Demon SeedDemon SeedDemon Seed is a 1977 American science fiction–horror film starring Julie Christie and directed by Donald Cammell. The film was based on the novel of the same name by Dean Koontz, and concerns the imprisonment and forced impregnation of a woman by an artificially-intelligent...
(1977) - White of the EyeWhite of the Eye (film)White of the Eye is a 1987 British thriller film directed by Donald Cammell and starring David Keith and Cathy Moriarty. It was adapted in film by Donald Cammell and his wife China Kong from the novel Mrs. White, written by Laurence and Andrew Klavan....
(1987) - The Argument (1971; released 1998)
- Wild Side (1995; released uncut in 1999)
- Donald Cammell: The Ultimate Performance (1999)