jonathan-demme

Director, Jonathan Demme, has passed away at the age of 73 from complications due to esophageal cancer.

Recently, I was browsing Netflix and noticed that the concert film Justin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids was now streaming. So, I sat down and watched what would be the final film Jonathan Demme directed.

Rollingstone had this to say about the highly regarded director:

It’s not hyperbole to say that Demme was arguably the greatest concert filmmaker ever – look at the number of them that he made, the range of artists he chronicled and the sheer brilliance with which he shot musicians playing (and playing with each other). Many great directors have tried their hand at concert films, but few could match Demme’s skill at capturing their joy and their celebration of communal creation. Taken together, his concert docs are one of the great collective odes – not just to making music but to being alive.

He was known for his epic concept films until Married To The Mob. The critically acclaimed film Silence Of The Lambs earned Demme an Oscar, The Golden Globe, The BAFTA and a slew of other awards. For many of us, Silence Of The Lambs is the perfect thriller and a staple in our horror library. Right after this, he directed Philadelphia, which earned Tom Hanks an Oscar and was one of the first major motion pictures to address the AIDS crisis.

Jonathan Demme was held in high esteem and simply meant the world to his friends, family and colleagues. Here is a statement from Jodie Foster:

I am heart-broken to lose a friend, a mentor, a guy so singular and dynamic you’d have to design a hurricane to contain him, Jonathan was as quirky as his comedies and as deep as his dramas. He was pure energy, the unstoppable cheerleader for anyone creative. Just as passionate about music as he was about art, he was and will always be a champion of the soul. JD, most beloved, something wild, brother of love, director of the lambs. Love that guy, love him so much.

Here is the love Twitter showed us today:

The love goes on and on. To read David Byrnes’ touching tribute, look here.

Rest In Peace, Mr. Demme. Incredibly grateful that you shared your gift, with us, and that we will have your stories, forever.

 

 

 

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