One of the most politically conscious filmmakers working today, English writer/director/documentarian Paul Greengrass received considerable praise for his willingness to tackle difficult subjects in his projects. Over the course of a 20-year career, he aimed his hand-held camera at terrorism in Northern Ireland, corruption in the military, and most recently, the hijacking of United Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001. In all cases, his films were challenging and uncompromising fare which highlighted the human condition in its best – and worst – possible light.
Born Aug. 13, 1955 in Cheam, Surrey, in the United Kingdom, Greengrass showed an interest in film at an early age. While still in secondary school, he directed several short Super-8 films using items found in an art classroom. His passion for film carried him through Cambridge University and into Granada Television, which paved a path for the first 10 years of his career at “World in Action” (ITV, 1963-99) – a hard-hitting TV documentary series which took him around the world in pursuit of stories. For his efforts, he took home a BAFTA award.
During the 1980s, Greengrass also co-authored the controversial book Spycatcher with former MI5 Assistant Director, Peter Wright. The book, which detailed Wright’s attempts to ferret out a Russian spy from the ranks of the British intelligence agency, was banned by the government and held from release until 1988. Greengrass then returned to directing, first in 1989 with “Resurrection,” about a soldier (David Thewlis) who is abandoned by his troops during the Falklands War. The picture was nominated for a Golden Bear and won several jury awards at the Berlin Film Festival. Greengrass also directed several movies for television – his films from this period including such acclaimed titles as 1994’s “Open Fire” (about a police scandal involving the most wanted criminal in the UK), 1996’s “The One that Got Away” (about a doomed covert mission in the first Gulf War), and 1999’s “The Murder of Stephen Lawrence” (detailing the bungled investigation of a racial murder). The latter film would earn him a second BAFTA in 2000.
In 1998, Greengrass returned to theatrical features with “The Theory of Flight,” a dark and difficult comedy-drama about a suicidal man (Kenneth Branagh) who becomes involved with a woman (Helena Bonham Carter) suffering from a degenerative neurological disease. The picture earned him another Best Film Award, this time from the Brussels Film Festival in 1999.
2002’s “Bloody Sunday” brought him further acclaim, with its documentary-style coverage of a 1972 protest in Northern Ireland that resulted in the deaths of 13 people at the hands of British troops. A worldwide success, the film netted 17 awards (including the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival) and 21 nominations – all of which established Greengrass as a director to watch on the international front.
Greengrass followed all his acclaimed works by writing and producing “Omagh” (2004), director Pete Travis’ depiction of a 1998 bombing by the IRA and its effects on a family that loses a son in the tragedy. His efforts yielded more praise from the world film community, as well as a barrage of awards, including another BAFTA.
In 2004, Greengrass made a more-than-capable leap into mainstream entertainment by helming “The Bourne Supremacy” (2004), the successful sequel to 2002’s “The Bourne Identity.” His skill with a hand-held camera, as well as with shadowy political dealings, gave the film a gritty edge that was missing from the original. Audiences responded to the change by making it a box office hit to the tune of $175 million in the United States alone. Greengrass also directed the third Bourne feature, “The Bourne Ultimatum” (2007) with Matt Damon returning once again as the super-spy Jason Bourne.
In 2006, Greengrass returned to his docudrama roots with “United 93,” a powerful look at the events that took place on that fateful flight on September 11th, and how its passengers came together to thwart the plane from reaching its final destination at the cost of their own lives. At once extremely suspenseful and respectful to the memories of the persons depicted in the film, “United 93” earned almost unanimous acclaim from critics across the country, including the New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC Film Critics Associations, as well as the American Film Institute, which named it among the best films of 2006. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences agreed, bestowing upon Greengrass an Oscar nomination for Best Director.