An intimate documentary, Robert Richardson: The White Devil, lays bare the legendary cinematographer's tempestuous working relationships with A-list directors Oliver Stone, Martin Scorsese, and Quentin Tarantino. Directed by Czech film student Jana Hojdová, the film features interviews with the directors, Richardson's family, and staggering home movie footage, including a shocking moment of his mother's death.
From Thesis to Documentary
Hojdová initially sought only to write her thesis on Richardson. She wrote to him and was astonished when he personally responded, sharing his diaries, notes, and research materials, and giving hours of interviews during Covid. The result is an absorbing, intimate documentary that explores Richardson's intensely creative, semi-crazed process on films such as Platoon, Born on the Fourth of July, and JFK for Stone; Hugo and The Aviator for Scorsese; and Kill Bill and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood for Tarantino.
The White Devil Nickname
Richardson, now in his 70s with a beatific grandfatherly calm, earned his “white devil” nickname when his long white hair was a sensual accessory for a fiercely passionate, handsome, and commanding man. He conducted tempestuous working relationships like love affairs with his male directors. The film reveals a real and painful story: Richardson fell out with his brother after his brother's child died and Richardson never attended the funeral, perhaps afraid of being sucked into the vortex of his brother's heartbreak. He also compulsively videoed everything at home, including amusing footage of his daughter telling him off for not being in the moment.
Staggering Home Movie Footage
The most staggering home movie footage, in vivid 4K clarity, shows Richardson's just-deceased mother being lifted off her deathbed by medical staff. It is a shocking, upsetting moment, perhaps almost too unbalancingly shocking considering how relatively little is said about his mother elsewhere in the film, though one of his Oscar acceptance speeches was dedicated to her.
Fallouts and Reconciliations
Richardson fell out with Stone when he decided to work with Scorsese, and with Tarantino over a particular shot on Kill Bill, but later reconciled. The film cannot show these macho head-butting quarrels, but it remains a reverent, clear-eyed cinephile treat. Robert Richardson: The White Devil screened at the Karlovy Vary film festival.
