Book Review: Conclusions by John Boorman

It should be compulsory for every older filmmaker to write a memoir like Conclusions. Film-makers like John Boorman are artists who’ve traversed the world, rubbing shoulders with influential people, amassing incredible anecdotes – and, occasionally, wisdom. Boorman humorously says that Confusions might have been a better title. But he is joking: Conclusions is a real treasure-trove for cinephiles. In it, he imparts sage advice to aspiring filmmakers; discusses the making of classics like Deliverance and Point Blank; and recounts time spent with Antonioni, Leone and Wilder. The personal elements are powerful too. Boorman revisiting his daughter’s death from cancer will have readers welling up, while the book’s final section describing the wonders of nature to be found around his Wicklow home feels loving and tender. Wonderful stuff.