Director Alan Parker died Friday morning following a battle with an undisclosed, but lengthy illness. He was 76. A rather well-respected two-time Oscar nominee, Parker was best known for directing “Midnight Express,” “Shoot the Moon” and “Mississippi Burning,” his three greatest films.
A graduate of the British TV commercial industry in the early ‘70s, Parker was what I like to call a filmmaking polisher, he shot films straight and crisply, with not necessarily much of a distinctive voice or auteur-like capability. That’s not a big deal, he was just a through and through pro, rarely serving up duds and always raising the artistic stakes in his films.
Parker was skilled in his usage of music in film. He helmed noteworthy titles, including “Pink Floyd’s The Wall,” “Fame,” “Bugsy Malone,” “The Commitments,” and “Evita” — all of which heavily relied on musical passages to their stories. He also managed to give us one of the most horrifying depictions of New Orleans in his neo-noir “Angel Heart.”
Parker is not one of those names they teach about in film school, mostly because you can’t really pinpoint a single solidifying trait that would merit entire chapters of devotion. No, in a way, he could be seen as a modern-day Howard Hawks, due to his ability in jumping from genre-to-genre with efficient dramatic breeze. Despite being initially ignored as a director, Hawks is now a major mainstay in film schools, maybe the same fate will happen to Parker. Regardless, he’s left us a lasting impact with his films.