Hugh Hudson

Hugh Hudson directed a handful of fascinating and well-crafted movies, nearly all of which center on the theme of search for identity. On various levels, his early films play out as veiled autobiography--the events and characters may not line up exactly, but the overarching arc of the story reflects his concerns and mirrors his life. The defining moments in the life of this oldest son of a wealthy landowner may be traced to two events: his being sent to boarding school at age seven and his parents' divorce about a year later. Rebelling against the effort to mold him into "a perfect model of a ruling-class Englishman," Hudson confounded his family by showing an early interest in film. His first amateur home movie was an ambitious effort set during the reign of Oliver Cromwell. By the time he had graduated from Eton and performed the requisite military service, he was ready to rebel further. Refusing to join his father's business, he opted instead for a position as head of a casting department at a London advertising agency. Still determined to pursue a career in film, he quit after six months and headed to Paris for a stint as a film editor.