Peter Brook

Peter Brook

Peter Stephen Paul Brook CH CBE (March 21, 1925 – July 2, 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC). With them, he directed the first English-language production in 1964 of Marat/Sade by Peter Weiss, which was transferred to Broadway in 1965 and won the Tony Award for Best Play, and Brook was named Best Director. He also directed films such as an iconic version of Lord of the Flies in 1963. He was based in France from the early 1970s, where he founded an international theatre company, playing in developing countries, in an approach of great simplicity. He was often referred to as "our greatest living theatre director". He won multiple Emmy Awards, a Laurence Olivier Award, the Japanese Praemium Imperiale, the Prix Italia and the Europe Theatre Prize. In 2021, he was awarded India's Padma Shri.

  • Title: Peter Brook
  • Popularity: 0.7852
  • Known For: Directing
  • Birthday: 1925-03-21
  • Place of Birth: London, England, UK
  • Homepage: http://www.newspeterbrook.com/
  • Also Known As:
img

Peter Brook Movies

  • 1953
    imgMovies

    King Lear

    King Lear

    8 1953 HD

    In this abridged television production, Lear vows revenge against his conniving daughters after they try to take swift control of his power.

    img
  • 2011
    imgMovies

    Carrière, 250 Meters

    Carrière, 250 Meters

    10 2011 HD

    A portrait documentary tracing the inspiration, philosophy and imagination of the celebrated theatre and screen writer - and Bunuel's long term collaborator - Jean Claude Carrière. Carrière predicts that between the house he was born in and the cemetery in which he will end there is a life journey of just 250 meters. "Carrière: 250 Meters" follows him as he reflects on the wealth of global traditions of storytelling, travelling through past and present, across countries and cultures from Paris to New York, Mexico and India and joined by his family, friends and collaborators. A testament to the life and work of an extraordinary man and a key architect in contemporary cinema.

    img
  • 2002
    imgMovies

    Brook by Brook

    Brook by Brook

    6 2002 HD

    An intimate portrait of director Peter Brook by his son, Simon Brook.

    img
  • 2012
    imgMovies

    The Tightrope

    The Tightrope

    1 2012 HD

    Filmed with five hidden cameras, The Tightrope is a total immersion into the creative process behind legendary theater director Peter Brook's work -- powerful, intimate, and emotionally thrilling. In this unique and deeply personal film, we get a dizzying glimpse from the Tightrope and an inkling of what it takes to make theater real...

    img
  • 1996
    imgMovies

    Looking for Richard

    Looking for Richard

    6.8 1996 HD

    Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."

    img
  • 2012
    imgMovies

    BAM150

    BAM150

    1 2012 HD

    A captivating history of the nation's oldest performing arts center - which largely mirrors the evolution of experimental and progressive performing arts in 20th century America - BAM150 chronicles the vibrant past, present and future of the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Through footage of recent performances, intimate interviews, and an astonishing treasure trove of 150 years' worth of archival materials, BAM150 is a testament to the power and stamina of the institution that established Brooklyn as a cultural mecca-serving as a home to such greats as Enrico Caruso, Sarah Bernhardt, Edwin Booth, Merce Cunningham, Robert Wilson, Mark Morris, Laurie Anderson, and Pina Bausch.

    img
  • 1994
    imgMovies

    The Five Senses of Theatre

    The Five Senses of Theatre

    1 1994 HD

    British director Peter Brook talks about his theatre experience from his first directing gigs of Oxford to the foundation of a company of international actors coming from different acting schools and cultures.

    img
  • 2018
    imgMovies

    Beckett by Brook

    Beckett by Brook

    1 2018 HD

    With hindsight, we can see exactly how wrong the labels given to Samuel Beckett have been, since it has been said that his writing was sad, negative and desperate. Nowadays, it can be said that several of his pieces submerge us in the reality of human existence, but with an element of humor - and it is this humor that has saved us. Beckett rejects every theory, every core belief, looking for the truth. He observes people amid the darkness and takes them into what is vast and unknown about life, so they can discover their truth by taking a look at themselves and others. Like Beckett, we share their uncertainty, their search, their pain. This theatrical reflection by the masters of European theater, Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne, incorporates parts of Fragments, a piece premiered in 2008 and filmed in 2015 and which contains the short plays Rough For Theater I, Rockaby, Act Without Words II and Neither.

    img
  • 2016
    imgMovies

    The Roof

    The Roof

    6.3 2016 HD

    A brief comedy about a visit from a legendary theatre maker and his legion of fans.

    img
  • 1967
    imgMovies

    The Benefit of the Doubt

    The Benefit of the Doubt

    6.3 1967 HD

    A documentary following US, Peter Brook's experimental play about the moral issues surrounding the Vietnam War, Benefit of the Doubt is the only known film record of the Royal Shakespeare Company production. It was filmed by Peter Whitehead concurrently with his Tonite Let's All Make Love in London (1967), on the surface a very different film, yet both share a central concern with the war, protest and Britain's political and cultural relationship with America.

    img
  • 1975
    imgMovies

    The Empty Space

    The Empty Space

    10 1975 HD

    In 1970, British stage and film director Peter Brook created the International Centre of Theatre Research in Paris. In the autumn of 1973, the Centre conducted a five week work period at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, performing and giving demonstrations of exercises, in which members of the audience participated, and exchanged ideas with the New York theatre community. This is a film of one day's work.

    img
  • 2008
    imgMovies

    Filmmaking Without Boundaries: Interview with Peter Brook

    Filmmaking Without Boundaries: Interview with Peter Brook

    1 2008 HD

    Director Peter Brook discusses his move from theater to film, his approach to adapting LORD OF THE FLIES, and the film's complicated production history.

    img
  • 2014
    imgMovies

    Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

    Magician: The Astonishing Life and Work of Orson Welles

    6.5 2014 HD

    The extraordinary life of Orson Welles (1915-85), an enigma of Hollywood, an irreducible independent creator: a musical prodigy, an excellent painter, a master of theater and radio, a modern Shakespeare, a magician who was always searching for a new trick to surprise his audience, a romantic and legendary figure who lived only for cinema.

    img
  • 2017
    imgMovies

    Strehler: Il mago dei prodigi

    Strehler: Il mago dei prodigi

    1 2017 HD

    An eulogy to Giorgio Strehler, the first real director in the italian theatre. He was a master, knowing all aspects of the show, from the set techniques up to narrative influences. The documentary tells the personal life and the artistic career: it starts from that Christmas day in 1997, when the news broadcasts opened with the news of Strehler's death, to summarize the story of the Piccolo Teatro, the first municipal theatre in Italy.

    img
  • 2018
    imgMovies

    Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit

    Jeanne Moreau: Free Spirit

    7 2018 HD

    An account of the life of actress Jeanne Moreau (1928-2017), a true icon of the New Wave and one of the most idolized French movie stars.

    img
  • 2000
    imgMovies

    Full Blossom: The Life of Poet/Actor Roberts Blossom

    Full Blossom: The Life of Poet/Actor Roberts Blossom

    1 2000 HD

    Full Blossom: The Life Of Poet/Actor Roberts Blossom takes a look at Blossom's work onscreen, as well as the man behind the camera, examining his political and spiritual convictions, his belief in reincarnation (Blossom is certain his son was Michelangelo in a previous life), his career as a poet, and his relationship with his family.

    img
  • 2022
    imgMovies

    Belmondo: The Incorrigible

    Belmondo: The Incorrigible

    8.2 2022 HD

    Charismatic and resourceful, seducer and daredevil, Jean-Paul Belmondo has always played his roles as he lived, at a thousand miles an hour. He had only one passion: to entertain the public with his smile, his naturalness, his energy, his stunts. But contrary to appearances, his destiny was full of pitfalls. This film lifts the veil on a founding childhood that allowed him to overcome many obstacles throughout his life thanks to the tutelary figures of his father and mother. Told from the inside with the help of his autobiography, interviews and unpublished archives, this epic story traces the career of this turbulent young actor who launched the New Wave in Breathless before becoming the popular Bebel, an indestructible and provocative vigilante. From film to film, this documentary paints an intimate portrait of a man who built himself up to reach the top: his triumphs but also his trials, his doubts, his secrets, his angers, his clowning, his disappointments or his personal dramas.

    img
  • 1963
    imgMovies

    Lord of the Flies

    Lord of the Flies

    6.7 1963 HD

    Following a plane crash a group of schoolboys find themselves on a deserted island. They appoint a leader and attempt to create an organized society for the sake of their survival. Democracy and order soon begin to crumble when a breakaway faction regresses to savagery with horrifying consequences.

    img
  • 1963
    imgMovies

    Lord of the Flies

    Lord of the Flies

    6.7 1963 HD

    Following a plane crash a group of schoolboys find themselves on a deserted island. They appoint a leader and attempt to create an organized society for the sake of their survival. Democracy and order soon begin to crumble when a breakaway faction regresses to savagery with horrifying consequences.

    img
  • 1970
    imgMovies

    King Lear

    King Lear

    6.3 1970 HD

    King Lear is a proud man who solicits praise from his three daughters in return for inheritance of the kingdom. Daughters Goneril and Regan profess their affection vehemently. Cordelia, who does not respect the process her father has chosen, does not humor him. Lear's perceived rejection from Cordelia leads to her banishment, thus splitting the kingdom between the other two. This hasty decision becomes his fatal error.

    img
  • 1970
    imgMovies

    King Lear

    King Lear

    6.3 1970 HD

    King Lear is a proud man who solicits praise from his three daughters in return for inheritance of the kingdom. Daughters Goneril and Regan profess their affection vehemently. Cordelia, who does not respect the process her father has chosen, does not humor him. Lear's perceived rejection from Cordelia leads to her banishment, thus splitting the kingdom between the other two. This hasty decision becomes his fatal error.

    img
  • 1967
    imgMovies

    Marat/Sade

    Marat/Sade

    6.1 1967 HD

    In Charenton Asylum, the Marquis de Sade directs a play about Jean Paul Marat's death, using the patients as actors. Based on 'The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade', a 1963 play by Peter Weiss.

    img
  • 1960
    imgMovies

    Seven Days… Seven Nights

    Seven Days… Seven Nights

    6.2 1960 HD

    Anne Desbarèdes is a young woman who is married to a wealthy businessman and lives a monotonous existence in the small commune town of Blaye. After indirectly witnessing a murder in a café, she returns to the scene of the crime the next day and meets Chauvin, who informs her in more detail about the events that took place. Mentally unbalanced, Anne begins to believe that Chauvin intends to kill her.

    img
  • 1949
    imgMovies

    Box for One

    Box for One

    1 1949 HD

    A London "spiv" enters an outdoor telephone booth. He dials a number and asks if there's a message for him. As he goes to leave, the phone rings - it is a girl who is trying to find her boyfriend and has the wrong number. The spiv is on the run from gangsters and is looking for help. He tries various people but they reject him. Eventually the gangsters catch up with him.

    img
  • 1979
    imgMovies

    Meetings with Remarkable Men

    Meetings with Remarkable Men

    6.5 1979 HD

    The story of G.I. Gurdjieff an Asian mystic who after a lifetimes study developed a form of meditation incorporating modern dance.

    img
  • 1979
    imgMovies

    Meetings with Remarkable Men

    Meetings with Remarkable Men

    6.5 1979 HD

    The story of G.I. Gurdjieff an Asian mystic who after a lifetimes study developed a form of meditation incorporating modern dance.

    img
  • 1990
    imgMovies

    The Mahabharata

    The Mahabharata

    6.9 1990 HD

    One of the great masterpieces of world literature comes to vivid life in an elaborate production from acclaimed theater and film innovator Peter Brook. This collection of ancient Sanskrit stories (composed into the longest book ever written) comprises a series of enlightened fables at the heart of countless beliefs, legends, and teachings; indeed, its very title means "the great story of mankind." Brook and writer Jean-Claude Carriere worked for eight years to develop this epic concerning two sides of a royal family, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, whose struggle leads to a fascinating voyage of emotions, passion and vision of glory. Briefly, the Mahabharata is a tale of two rival sets of brothers, cousins to eachother, each born into royalty and with divinely guided paths in life. The result, however, is a great war, death, destruction - a vast epic.

    img
  • 2002
    imgMovies

    The Tragedy of Hamlet

    The Tragedy of Hamlet

    8.7 2002 HD

    Peter Brook presents a new interpretation of the classic in a setting is vaguely eastern rather than Scandinavian, with a multi-ethnic cast .

    img
  • 1968
    imgMovies

    Tell Me Lies

    Tell Me Lies

    6.3 1968 HD

    Adapted and directed by Peter Brook from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s ‘production-in-progress US’, this long-unseen agitprop drama-doc – shot in London in 1967 and released only briefly in the UK and New York at the height of the Vietnam War – remains both thought-provoking and disturbing. A theatrical and cinematic social comment on US intervention in Vietnam, Brook’s film also reveals a 1960s London where art, theatre and political protest actively collude and where a young Glenda Jackson and RSC icons such as Peggy Ashcroft and Paul Scofield feature prominently on the front line. Multi-layered scenarios staged by Brook combine with newsreel footage, demonstrations, satirical songs and skits to illustrate the intensity of anti-war opinion within London’s artistic and intellectual community.

    img
  • 1953
    imgMovies

    King Lear

    King Lear

    8 1953 HD

    In this abridged television production, Lear vows revenge against his conniving daughters after they try to take swift control of his power.

    img
  • 1982
    imgMovies

    La Cerisaie

    La Cerisaie

    1 1982 HD

    The last vestiges of a family that has gone from cherry season to sorrow... Madame Ranevskaya is a spoiled, aging aristocrat who, upon returning from a trip to Paris, must face the loss of her magnificent Cherry Orchard estate after defaulting on her mortgage. In denial, she continues to live in the past, deluding herself and her family, while the magnificent cherry trees are chopped down by the new owner Lopakhin, her former serf, who has his own agenda.

    img
  • 1963
    imgMovies

    Lord of the Flies

    Lord of the Flies

    6.7 1963 HD

    Following a plane crash a group of schoolboys find themselves on a deserted island. They appoint a leader and attempt to create an organized society for the sake of their survival. Democracy and order soon begin to crumble when a breakaway faction regresses to savagery with horrifying consequences.

    img
  • 1953
    imgMovies

    The Beggar's Opera

    The Beggar's Opera

    4.1 1953 HD

    Adaptation of John Gay's 18th century opera, featuring Laurence Olivier as MacHeath and Hugh Griffith as the Beggar.

    img
  • 2002
    imgMovies

    Don Giovanni

    Don Giovanni

    1 2002 HD

    Live performance at Théâtre de l’Archevêché du Festival d’art lyrique d’Aix-en-Provence 2002. Daniel Harding conducting the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Choeur de l'Académie Européenne de Musique. Directed for stage by Peter Brook.

    img
  • 2018
    imgMovies

    Beckett by Brook

    Beckett by Brook

    1 2018 HD

    With hindsight, we can see exactly how wrong the labels given to Samuel Beckett have been, since it has been said that his writing was sad, negative and desperate. Nowadays, it can be said that several of his pieces submerge us in the reality of human existence, but with an element of humor - and it is this humor that has saved us. Beckett rejects every theory, every core belief, looking for the truth. He observes people amid the darkness and takes them into what is vast and unknown about life, so they can discover their truth by taking a look at themselves and others. Like Beckett, we share their uncertainty, their search, their pain. This theatrical reflection by the masters of European theater, Peter Brook and Marie-Hélène Estienne, incorporates parts of Fragments, a piece premiered in 2008 and filmed in 2015 and which contains the short plays Rough For Theater I, Rockaby, Act Without Words II and Neither.

    img
  • 1968
    imgMovies

    Tell Me Lies

    Tell Me Lies

    6.3 1968 HD

    Adapted and directed by Peter Brook from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s ‘production-in-progress US’, this long-unseen agitprop drama-doc – shot in London in 1967 and released only briefly in the UK and New York at the height of the Vietnam War – remains both thought-provoking and disturbing. A theatrical and cinematic social comment on US intervention in Vietnam, Brook’s film also reveals a 1960s London where art, theatre and political protest actively collude and where a young Glenda Jackson and RSC icons such as Peggy Ashcroft and Paul Scofield feature prominently on the front line. Multi-layered scenarios staged by Brook combine with newsreel footage, demonstrations, satirical songs and skits to illustrate the intensity of anti-war opinion within London’s artistic and intellectual community.

    img
  • 1983
    imgMovies

    The Tragedy of Carmen

    The Tragedy of Carmen

    1 1983 HD

    Peter Brooks' adaptation of Carmen by Mérimée and Bizet.

    img
  • 1968
    imgMovies

    Tell Me Lies

    Tell Me Lies

    6.3 1968 HD

    Adapted and directed by Peter Brook from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s ‘production-in-progress US’, this long-unseen agitprop drama-doc – shot in London in 1967 and released only briefly in the UK and New York at the height of the Vietnam War – remains both thought-provoking and disturbing. A theatrical and cinematic social comment on US intervention in Vietnam, Brook’s film also reveals a 1960s London where art, theatre and political protest actively collude and where a young Glenda Jackson and RSC icons such as Peggy Ashcroft and Paul Scofield feature prominently on the front line. Multi-layered scenarios staged by Brook combine with newsreel footage, demonstrations, satirical songs and skits to illustrate the intensity of anti-war opinion within London’s artistic and intellectual community.

    img
  • 1968
    imgMovies

    Red, White, and Zero

    Red, White, and Zero

    5 1968 HD

    Composed of three shorts – Ride of the Valkyrie, The White Bus, and Red and Blue – from three of Britain’s most-celebrated directors - Lindsay Anderson, Peter Brook, and Tony Richardson. Comic legend Zero Mostel stars as an opera singer (in full costume) navigating the London transport network as he attempts to reach Covent Garden in 'Ride of the Valkyrie'. Scripted by Shelagh Delaney, 'The White Bus' blends realism, drama, and poetry as a despondent young woman travels home to the North of England. And Vanessa Redgrave stars in Tony Richardson’s romantic reverie and musical featurette 'Red and Blue'. Produced in 1967, but ultimately shelved.

    img
  • 1977
    imgMovies

    Ride of the Valkyrie

    Ride of the Valkyrie

    4 1977 HD

    An opera singer, dressed in full costume and dress, must navigate through the busy city streets to get to the theater in time for his performance. Filmed for the shelved portmanteau film 'Red, White and Zero' in 1967.

    img
  • 1977
    imgMovies

    Ride of the Valkyrie

    Ride of the Valkyrie

    4 1977 HD

    An opera singer, dressed in full costume and dress, must navigate through the busy city streets to get to the theater in time for his performance. Filmed for the shelved portmanteau film 'Red, White and Zero' in 1967.

    img
  • 1968
    imgMovies

    Red, White, and Zero

    Red, White, and Zero

    5 1968 HD

    Composed of three shorts – Ride of the Valkyrie, The White Bus, and Red and Blue – from three of Britain’s most-celebrated directors - Lindsay Anderson, Peter Brook, and Tony Richardson. Comic legend Zero Mostel stars as an opera singer (in full costume) navigating the London transport network as he attempts to reach Covent Garden in 'Ride of the Valkyrie'. Scripted by Shelagh Delaney, 'The White Bus' blends realism, drama, and poetry as a despondent young woman travels home to the North of England. And Vanessa Redgrave stars in Tony Richardson’s romantic reverie and musical featurette 'Red and Blue'. Produced in 1967, but ultimately shelved.

    img
  • 1982
    imgMovies

    La Cerisaie

    La Cerisaie

    1 1982 HD

    The last vestiges of a family that has gone from cherry season to sorrow... Madame Ranevskaya is a spoiled, aging aristocrat who, upon returning from a trip to Paris, must face the loss of her magnificent Cherry Orchard estate after defaulting on her mortgage. In denial, she continues to live in the past, deluding herself and her family, while the magnificent cherry trees are chopped down by the new owner Lopakhin, her former serf, who has his own agenda.

    img
  • 1990
    imgMovies

    The Mahabharata

    The Mahabharata

    6.9 1990 HD

    One of the great masterpieces of world literature comes to vivid life in an elaborate production from acclaimed theater and film innovator Peter Brook. This collection of ancient Sanskrit stories (composed into the longest book ever written) comprises a series of enlightened fables at the heart of countless beliefs, legends, and teachings; indeed, its very title means "the great story of mankind." Brook and writer Jean-Claude Carriere worked for eight years to develop this epic concerning two sides of a royal family, the Pandavas and the Kauravas, whose struggle leads to a fascinating voyage of emotions, passion and vision of glory. Briefly, the Mahabharata is a tale of two rival sets of brothers, cousins to eachother, each born into royalty and with divinely guided paths in life. The result, however, is a great war, death, destruction - a vast epic.

    img
  • 1984
    imgMovies

    Swann in Love

    Swann in Love

    5.5 1984 HD

    In Belle Époque Paris, a 19th-century Parisian aristocrat falls in love with a lower-class prostitute who seduces him but never loves him.

    img
  • 1983
    imgMovies

    The Tragedy of Carmen

    The Tragedy of Carmen

    1 1983 HD

    Peter Brooks' adaptation of Carmen by Mérimée and Bizet.

    img
  • 2002
    imgMovies

    The Tragedy of Hamlet

    The Tragedy of Hamlet

    8.7 2002 HD

    Peter Brook presents a new interpretation of the classic in a setting is vaguely eastern rather than Scandinavian, with a multi-ethnic cast .

    img
  • 1974
    imgS24 E16

    Spécial cinéma

    Spécial cinéma

    1 1974 HD

    Marcello Mastroianni, Isabelle Adjani, Alain Delon, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen... the biggest stars in cinema were welcomed by Christian Defaye on his show Spécial cinéma. Between intimate confessions from actors and immersion in the world of the greatest filmmakers, Christian Defaye took viewers on a journey into the fascinating world of cinema for nearly thirty years.

    img
  • 1970
    imgS1 E3

    Spécial cinéma

    Spécial cinéma

    6 1970 HD

    The Mahabharata is a 1989 film version of the Indian epic based on the history of India, Mahabharata directed by Peter Brook. Brook's original 1985 stage play was 9 hours long, and toured around the world for four years. In 1989, it was reduced to under 6 hours for television. Later it was also reduced to about 3 hours for theatrical and DVD release. The screenplay was the result of eight years' work by Peter Brook, Jean-Claude Carrière and Marie-Hélène Estienne. For the casting an international selection of actors was intentionally chosen, to show that the nature of the Indian epic is the story of all humanity.

    img
  • 1970
    imgS1 E3

    Spécial cinéma

    Spécial cinéma

    6 1970 HD

    The Mahabharata is a 1989 film version of the Indian epic based on the history of India, Mahabharata directed by Peter Brook. Brook's original 1985 stage play was 9 hours long, and toured around the world for four years. In 1989, it was reduced to under 6 hours for television. Later it was also reduced to about 3 hours for theatrical and DVD release. The screenplay was the result of eight years' work by Peter Brook, Jean-Claude Carrière and Marie-Hélène Estienne. For the casting an international selection of actors was intentionally chosen, to show that the nature of the Indian epic is the story of all humanity.

    img
  • 1970
    imgS1 E3

    Spécial cinéma

    Spécial cinéma

    6 1970 HD

    The Mahabharata is a 1989 film version of the Indian epic based on the history of India, Mahabharata directed by Peter Brook. Brook's original 1985 stage play was 9 hours long, and toured around the world for four years. In 1989, it was reduced to under 6 hours for television. Later it was also reduced to about 3 hours for theatrical and DVD release. The screenplay was the result of eight years' work by Peter Brook, Jean-Claude Carrière and Marie-Hélène Estienne. For the casting an international selection of actors was intentionally chosen, to show that the nature of the Indian epic is the story of all humanity.

    img