Jeff Bridges names the greatest directorial debut ever: “I don’t think it gets much better”
Many cinephiles have argued over which director has the best directorial debut. It could be the recent phenomenon of Aftersun, with the bittersweet film directed by Charlotte Wells becoming one of MUBI’s most successful ventures. Or it could be Whiplash, with Damien Chazelle’s star-studded short raising enough cash to fund a full-fledged feature film and lead him to become the youngest winner of the ‘Best Director’ Academy Award.
It’s a subject debated each year as new releases roll through our cinemas, something that Jeff Bridges chipped his own two cents into after discussing his experiences of working with new and experienced directors and what he considers the greatest directorial debut of all time.
Bridges has collaborated with a huge range of directors over the years, whether it be starring in the early film from legendary auteur Peter Bogdanovich, infamous collaborations with the Coen brothers or his heartwarming work with Terry Gilliam on The Fisher King. Throughout his time in the industry, he has worked with newcomers and Hollywood veterans alike, discussing the differences between both and how this impacts the art.
Bridges said: “I don’t think there really is much difference. They can both be open and fresh. For my tastes in all of the arts, the most advanced artists have a freshness where it seems like it’s happening for the first time. When it seems like it’s happening for the first time, you think Picasso or something like that, with the big things that you haven’t heard of before. And great writers have that, or you can have ‘psychic’ powers where you could touch what hasn’t been touched before.”
It’s true that talent knows no boundaries – you could have a young director with stories as wise as someone who has been working for fifty years, or an older director with fresh stories that feel as though they have just fallen in love with the craft for the first time.
But for Bridges, there is one director that most sticks out as a prime example of this, saying, “But if you look at directors who had some wonderful success, especially with first-time directors, I don’t think it gets much better than Citizen Kane. Like, how old was Orson Welles when he made that? 25? So it goes the same with arts and artists across the board, the freshness and things like Sidney Lumet’s movies. I got to work with him too, where his later movies were just as fresh as ever.”
Citizen Kane remains one of the most timeless classics of all time, with the genius cinematography and stellar performances making it the monolith of cinema. It continues to be studied and endlessly picked apart by everyone who watches it, with a story that still manages to resonate and reflect the world we live in today. The fact that Orson Welles made the film at the age of 25 only puts everyone else in this age bracket to shame, and a fact that makes me want to quit every creative venture I’ve embarked on and pack up shop completely. But perhaps we can focus on the inspiration within this story, showing that you never know when your best work might arrive.
