Biography

Edward Zwick

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Zwick moves deftly between the roles of writer, director and producer. He was nominated for a Golden Globe for his direction of the 1989 critically acclaimed Civil War drama, Glory. He received his second Golden Globe nomination as a director for Legends of the Fall. Zwick received an Academy Award as one of the producers of Shakespeare in Love, as well as a second nomination for Traffic. He wrote, directed and produced the feature film The Last Samurai. Zwick continues to work with his partner, Marshall Herskovitz, at their company Bedford Falls where they created Thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, Once and Again and Blood Diamond.
- IMDb mini biography by: Humanitas Official Website

Frequently casts Denzel Washington
In terms of television, has frequently worked with Marshall Herskovitz
Films about characters living through real-life historical events
Heavy use of slow-motion during pivotal action scenes
His war movies frequently climax with a final charge or last stand where the characters face almost certain death

Has directed 4 actors in Oscar nominated roles; Djimon Hounsou, Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, and Denzel Washington. Denzel won his Oscar.
Edward Zwick is one of the few directors to have worked with both Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise. The others are Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott.
Received an A.B. from Harvard University in 1974.
He has made three films with Denzel Washington. The only directors to work with Washington more often are Spike Lee and Tony Scott, who have each done four films with him, and Antoine Fuqua, who with the upcoming The Equalizer 3 (2023) will have done five films.
Both Blood Diamond (2006) and Glory (1989) feature two of the main characters (one white man and one black man) conflicting with each other at first but developing respect for each other in time.

The interesting movies can definitely still be made but on a very small scale. The idea of putting that many resources to a story that might only make a certain amount of money is not what the studios want. They want movies that will move the stock price or justify giving up one of their tentpole slots.
I have nothing against diamonds, or rubies or emeralds or sapphires. I do object when their acquisition is complicit in the debasement of children or the destruction of a country.
Samurai culture did exist really, for hundreds of years and the notion of people trying to create some sort of a moral code, the idea that there existed certain behaviors that could be celebrated and that could be operative in a life.
There is something universal in the theme of a man trying to save his family in the midst of the most terrible circumstances. It is not limited to Sierra Leone. This story could apply to any number of places where ordinary people have been caught up in political events beyond their control.
Sometimes when we weep in the movies we weep for ourselves or for a life unlived. Or we even go to the movies because we want to resist the emotion that's there in front of us. I think there is always a catharsis that I look for and that makes the movie experience worthwhile.

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