New York has repeatedly become a place for filming great movie masterpieces, both TV shows and movies. Many directors have captured the spirit of New York in their films. Brooklyn is not an exception. Once, a Brooklyn native wrote a story about his hometown, and a famous Boston man, Edward Norton, brought it to life. “Motherless Brooklyn” has proudly joined the list of renowned films about Brooklyn. The famous film adaptation of Colm Tóibn’s novel “Brooklyn” is also on this list. Find out more at brooklyn-trend.
JONATHAN LETHEM
Lethem was born in 1964 in Brooklyn. His mother was a political activist, while his father was an avant-garde artist. In addition to Jonathan, the family had two more children. Their family lived in a commune in pre-gentrified Brooklyn, in its northern neighborhood of Boerum Hill. Lethem’s love of literature was instilled in him by his school teacher Carmen Fariña. It was to her that he dedicated his first book. Also, one of the authors who influenced him was Philip K. Dick. His work, like punk culture has on some, had a formative effect on Lethem. Although, interestingly, he grew up in the bohemian society of his parents. It was a wealthy family.
In 1994, Lethem’s mother died of a brain tumor. This loss had a profound effect on him. It also had a significant impact on his creativity. Lethem remarked that following her death, there was an absence of something important in all of his work. His eternal leitmotif was loneliness.
He didn’t consider becoming a writer at first. Jonathan planned on following in his father’s footsteps. After his parents divorced while he was a child, the author did not lose his affection and love for his father. He studied art at the High School of Music & Art. He even made his own animated movie. But his real recognition came after he wrote the novel “Motherless Brooklyn” in 1999.
DETECTIVE ON THE STREETS OF BROOKLYN
Lethem composed “Motherless Brooklyn” in the detective genre. The novel’s main character, Lionel Essrog, is the novel’s centerpiece. His peculiar characteristic was an illness called Tourette’s syndrome. This condition is distinguished by sudden nervous twitches or uncontrollable swearing. The plot of the detective story centers around Frank Minna, the proprietor of a detective agency. It was disguised as a transportation company for conspiracy objectives. Frank is the benefactor of the three main characters, who are orphans from a Brooklyn shelter. Hence the name.
Frank Minna pulled three friends out of the shelter, which earned him their loyalty. Then Minna made use of it. He frequently made them execute dubious work. But then Frank Minna got killed. So the main character must deal with a real-life detective investigation.
The book garnered several well-known awards in its first year of publication, which drew the notice of Edward Norton. He purchased the picture rights in 1999. However, the film was only released in 2019. It took Norton many years to write and direct the film.
IT’S TIME FOR THE MOVIE!
The film’s cast was impressive, including Edward Norton, Bruce Willis, Alec Baldwin, Willem Dafoe, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and others. Norton worked on the script and adaptation of the noir detective story in the style of the mid-20th century for several years. The greater part of the filming took place in a studio in Harlem.
Lethem’s novel attracted a lot of attention and praise. However, the cinematic adaption failed at the box office. The film’s budget was $26 million, while its box office revenues were slightly more than 18 million.
Although some critics claimed that this was Norton’s best effort as a director. Much is not expected of an actor who takes the helm of a production.
It’s unclear what exactly the audience didn’t like. The script may differ from the original. The action of Lethem’s novel takes place in the 1990s, while Norton’s adaptation takes place in the 1950s. The 1950s style transported the viewer to the old streets of Brooklyn. Norton picked this era to emphasize every aspect of noir. Gray tones were used to emphasize the sullen mood of the character and the style itself. At the same time, Norton shifted the emphasis of classic noir. The evidence of this are the facts that there were day-light scenes, the character that resembled a vamp woman was given very little attention and the main character, with his flaws, didn’t fully fit the dark noir style. Although we didn’t see as much of Brooklyn as we would have liked. Some of the 1950s Brooklyn was created on the set in Harlem.
TRAGEDY ON SET
In 2018, the film “Motherless Brooklyn” made headlines. The cause was the death of a firefighter. On the team, a 37-year-old firefighter arrived on a call about a fire in Harlem, Manhattan. The fire broke out at the building where the movie was being shot. The crew was shooting nighttime scenes. The fire on the second floor was raging when firemen arrived on the scene. The film team made it out of the building before the firefighters got there.
Davidson, the deceased, got separated from his colleagues while extinguishing the fire. They were unable to locate him right away. He was unconscious and suffering from severe burns and carbon monoxide poisoning. He was declared deceased in the hospital. The causes of the fire weren’t mentioned in the press.
Davidson was a hereditary firefighter. His father spent his entire life working for the city’s fire department.
