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WordMan
12-28-2002, 04:46 AM
I just spent a wonderful day, sitting in front of a fireplace in a classic drawing room in London, in a deep couch and a quiet room, reading:

The Conversations - between Michael Ondaatje and Walter Murch.

A wonderful writer and a brilliant editor discussing how they assemble and edit their respective arts, books and movies. It was a very, very nice day.

My lead in is just to suggest that once you get your hands on this book, you should find somewhere quiet to read it, because you won't put it down.
As you probably know, Ondaatje wrote The English Patient, which the movie was based on. He's a very spiritual novelist.
Walter Murch has edited a large number of great movies, and his standing is such that when they decided to restore A Touch of Evil according to Orson Welles' notes, he was the man given the task.

He's edited the first third of Apocalypse Now and the Director's cut of the same film; Julia; Unbearable Lightness of Being; Godfather, Part III and the Godfather Trilogy; House of Cards; First Knight, The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and he's doing Cold Mountain, Minghella's next film to be released.

www.amazon.com/exec/obido...67-4074523 (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375413863/qid=1041071668/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/102-3069167-4074523)

markie g
03-04-2003, 03:37 AM
I'd read favourable press reviews, but your post pushed into purchase.

Just had to say thanks - an engrossing and illuminating read.

creativexec
03-04-2003, 07:26 PM
Somebody gave me the book, and it is
wonderful. Editors do the last rewrite.

JakeSchuster aka Ostroff
03-04-2003, 08:54 PM
I recommend it as well. Murch is brilliant at what he does, and he's been involved with some extraordinary movies. It's worth every penny you spend on it, and for writers, well, you can learn a lot from a master editor such as Murch.

meat pickle99
03-06-2003, 03:44 PM
must get book