View source for Brian De Palma



{{Infobox person
| name         = Brian De Palma
| image        = BrianDePalma09TIFF.jpg
| caption      = De Palma in 2009
| alma_mater   = {{Ubl
  | [[Columbia University]]
  | [[Sarah Lawrence College]]
  }}
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1940|09|11}}
| birth_place  = [[Newark, New Jersey]], U.S.
| birth_name   = Brian Russell De Palma
| years_active = 1960–present
| occupation   = {{hlist|Film director|screenwriter|producer}}
| spouse       = {{Ubl
  | {{marriage|[[Nancy Allen (actress)|Nancy Allen]]|1979|1984|end=div}}
  | {{marriage|[[Gale Anne Hurd]]|1991|1993|end=div}}
  | {{marriage|Darnell Gregorio|1995|1997|end=div}}
  }}
| children     = 2

}}
'''Brian Russell De Palma''' ({{IPA|it|de ˈpalma|}}; born September 11, 1940) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for work in the [[suspense]], [[Crime film|crime]], and [[psychological thriller]] genres. De Palma was a leading member of the [[New Hollywood]] generation.<ref name="AVprimer">Murray, Noel & Tobias, Scott (March 10, 2011). [https://www.avclub.com/dive-into-the-virtuosic-thrillers-of-brian-de-palma-1798225034 "Brian De Palma | Film | Primer"]. ''[[The A.V. Club]]''. Retrieved February 3, 2012.</ref>

[[Carrie (1976 film)|''Carrie'']] (1976), his adaptation of [[Stephen King]]'s [[Carrie (novel)|novel of the same name]], gained him prominence as a young filmmaker. He enjoyed commercial success with [[Dressed to Kill (1980 film)|''Dressed to Kill'']] (1980), [[The Untouchables (film)|''The Untouchables'']] (1987) and [[Mission: Impossible (film)|''Mission: Impossible'']] (1996) and made [[cult classics]] such as ''[[Greetings (1968 film)|Greetings]]'' (1968), ''[[Hi, Mom!]]'' (1970), [[Sisters (1972 film)|''Sisters'']] (1972), ''[[Phantom of the Paradise]]'' (1974), and [[The Fury (1978 film)|''The Fury'']] (1978).<ref name="theguardian.com">{{cite web |last1=Rose |first1=Steve |title=Steve Rose Talks to Director Brian De Palma |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/sep/08/1 |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=September 8, 2006 |access-date=June 18, 2018}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-brian-de-palma-underrated-gems-20160609-snap-story.html|title=Director Brian De Palma's underrated gems, decade by decade| date=June 10, 2016|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=March 10, 2022|author-first1=Justin|author-last1=Chang|author-first2=Mark|author-last2=Olsen}}</ref>

As a young director, De Palma dreamed of being the "American [[Jean-Luc Godard|Godard]]". His style is allusive; he paid homage to [[Alfred Hitchcock]] in [[Obsession (1976 film)|''Obsession'']] (1976) and [[Body Double (film)|''Body Double'']] (1984); ''[[Blow Out]]'' (1981) is based on [[Michelangelo Antonioni]]'s ''[[Blowup]]'' (1966), and [[Scarface (1983 film)|''Scarface'']] (1983), his remake of [[Howard Hawks]]' [[Scarface (1932 film)|1932 film]], is dedicated to Hawks and [[Ben Hecht]]. His work has been criticized for its violence and sexual content but has also been championed by American critics such as [[Roger Ebert]] and [[Pauline Kael]].<ref name="theguardian.com" /><ref name="KaelBO" /><ref name="FemmeFataleEbert" /> In 2015, he was interviewed about his work in [[De Palma (film)|a well-received documentary]] by [[Noah Baumbach]].<ref>{{cite web| title=De Palma| last=Peter| first=Sobczynski| work=RogerEbert.com| url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/de-palma-2016}}</ref>

==Early life and education ==
De Palma was born on September 11, 1940, in [[Newark, New Jersey]], the youngest of three boys. His Italian-American parents were Vivienne DePalma (née Muti), and [[Anthony F. DePalma]], an [[orthopedic]] surgeon who was the son of immigrants from [[Alberona]], [[Province of Foggia]].<ref>[http://www.filmreference.com/film/80/Brian-De-Palma.html "Brian De Palma Biography (1940–)"]. ''Film Reference''. Retrieved January 14, 2012.</ref> He was raised in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] and [[New Hampshire]], and attended various [[Protestant]] and [[Religious Society of Friends|Quaker]] schools, eventually graduating from [[Friends' Central School]]. He had a poor relationship with his father, and would secretly follow him to record his adulterous behavior; this would eventually inspire the teenage character in De Palma's [[Dressed to Kill (1980 film)|''Dressed to Kill'']] (1980).<ref>{{cite web |last1=Clark |first1=Ashley |title=Brian de Palma: 'Film lies all the time … 24 times a second' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/jun/07/brian-de-palma-carrie-scarface-retrospective-documentary |website=[[The Guardian]] |date=June 7, 2016 |access-date=June 18, 2018}}</ref> When he was in high school, he built computers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/brian-de-palma-talks-about-his-stylish-new-remake--102271 |title=Brian De Palma talks about his stylish new remake, Passion |newspaper=A.V. Club |date=August 30, 2013 |first=Ben |last=Kenigsberg |access-date=October 26, 2014 }}</ref> He won a regional science-fair prize for his project "An [[Analog computer|Analog Computer]] to Solve [[Differential Equations]]".

Enrolled at [[Columbia University]] as a [[physics]] student,<ref>{{cite book |last=Bliss |first=Michael |date=1983 |title=Brian De Palma |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OWscAQAAIAAJ |location=Metuchen, New Jersey |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |page=139 |isbn=0-8108-1621-0}}</ref> De Palma became enraptured with filmmaking after seeing [[Orson Welles]]' ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' (1941) and [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s ''[[Vertigo (film)|Vertigo]]'' (1958). After receiving his undergraduate degree in 1962, De Palma enrolled at the newly coed [[Sarah Lawrence College]] as a graduate student in their [[theater]] department,<ref>{{cite news |last=De Palma |first=Brian |date=February 11, 2020 |title=Brian De Palma Remembers Filming a Student Film With Kirk Douglas |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brian-de-palma-remembers-filming-a-student-film-kirk-douglas-1278774 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |access-date=February 11, 2020}}</ref> earning an [[Master of Arts|M.A.]] in the discipline in 1964 as one of the first male students in a predominantly female school. Once there, influences as various as drama teacher [[Wilford Leach]], the [[Albert and David Maysles|Maysles brothers]], [[Michelangelo Antonioni]], [[Andy Warhol]] and [[Jean-Luc Godard]], impressed upon De Palma the many styles and themes that would shape his work in the coming decades.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brian De Palma |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/showbiz/int%E2%80%99l-film/brian-de-palma-1268695 |work=[[The Daily Star (Oneonta)|The Daily Star]] |date=August 13, 2016 |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref>

==Career==
===1963–1976: Rise to prominence ===
An early association with a young [[Robert De Niro]] resulted in ''[[The Wedding Party (1969 film)|The Wedding Party]]''. The film, co-directed with [[Wilford Leach]] and producer Cynthia Munroe, had been shot in 1963 but remained unreleased until 1969,<ref>{{cite book |last=Brode |first=Douglas |date=2001 |title=The Films of Robert DeNiro |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aRZ92rXdANgC&pg=PA23 |location=New York |publisher=[[Citadel Press]] |page=23 |isbn=0-8065-2110-4}}</ref> when De Palma's star had risen sufficiently in the [[Greenwich Village]] filmmaking scene. De Niro was unknown at the time; the credits mistakenly display his name as "Robert {{sic|hide=y|Den|ero}}".{{sfn|Brode|2001|p=23}} The film is noteworthy for its invocation of silent film techniques and use of the [[jump-cut]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Ditlea |first=Steve |date=April 28, 1969 |title=Brian De Palma is a revolutionary |url=http://spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu/cgi-bin/columbia?a=d&d=cs19690428-01.2.35 |work=[[Columbia Daily Spectator]] |volume=CXIII |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> De Palma followed this style with various small films for the [[NAACP]] and the [[U.S. Treasury Department|Treasury Department]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Lester |first=Peter |date=October 22, 1979 |title=Director Brian De Palma and Actress Nancy Allen Just Got Carrie-D Away |url=https://people.com/archive/director-brian-de-palma-and-actress-nancy-allen-just-got-carrie-d-away-vol-12-no-17/ |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref>

During the 1960s, De Palma began making a living producing documentaries, notably ''The Responsive Eye'' (1966), about ''[[The Responsive Eye]]'' [[op-art]] exhibit curated by William Seitz for [[MoMA]] in 1965. In an interview with Joseph Gelmis from 1969, De Palma described the film as "very good and very successful. It's distributed by Pathe Contemporary and makes lots of money. I shot it in four hours, with synched sound. I had two other guys shooting people's reactions to the paintings, and the paintings themselves."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Gelmis |first=Joseph |title=The Film Director as Superstar |url=https://archive.org/details/filmdirectorassu0000gelm |url-access=registration |year=1970 |publisher=[[Doubleday (publisher)|Doubleday]] |location=Garden City, NY |page=[https://archive.org/details/filmdirectorassu0000gelm/page/24 24]}}</ref>

''[[Dionysus in '69]]'' (1969) was De Palma's other major documentary from this period. The film records [[the Performance Group]]'s performance of [[Euripides]]' ''[[The Bacchae]]'', starring, amongst others, De Palma regular [[William Finley (actor)|William Finley]]. The play is noted for breaking traditional barriers between performers and audience. The film's most striking quality is its extensive use of the [[Split screen (video production)|split-screen]]. De Palma recalls that he was "floored" by this performance upon first sight, and in 1973 recounts how he "began to try and figure out a way to capture it on film. I came up with the idea of split-screen, to be able to show the actual audience involvement, to trace the life of the audience and that of the play as they merge in and out of each other."<ref>{{cite book|last= Knapp |first=Lawrence |title=Brian De Palma Interviews |year=2003 |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |location=Jackson, MS |page=26}}</ref>

De Palma's most significant features from this decade are ''[[Greetings (1968 film)|Greetings]]'' (1968) and ''[[Hi, Mom!]]'' (1970). Both films star De Niro and espouse a [[leftist]] [[revolutionary]] viewpoint in the spirit of the time. ''Greetings'' was entered into the [[19th Berlin International Film Festival]], where it won a [[Silver Bear]] award.<ref name="berlinale 1969">{{Cite web| title=Berlinale 1969: Prize Winners |url=http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1969/03_preistr_ger_1969/03_Preistraeger_1969.html |access-date=March 6, 2010 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref> His other major film from this period is the slasher comedy ''[[Murder a la Mod]]'' (1968). Each of these films experiments with narrative and [[intertextuality]], reflecting De Palma's stated intention to become the "American [[Jean-Luc Godard|Godard]]".<ref>{{cite book| title=Everything Is Cinema: The Working Life of Jean-Luc Godard| last=Brody| first=Richard| author-link=Richard Brody| page=323}}</ref>

In 1970, De Palma left New York for Hollywood at age thirty to make ''[[Get to Know Your Rabbit]]'' (1972), starring [[Orson Welles]] and [[Tommy Smothers]]. Making the film was a crushing experience for De Palma, as Smothers did not like many of De Palma's ideas.<ref name="Salamon26">Salamon, p. 26.</ref> Here he made several small, studio and independently released films. Among them were the horror film [[Sisters (1972 film)|''Sisters'']] (1972), the rock musical ''[[Phantom of the Paradise]]'' (1974) and [[Obsession (1976 film)|''Obsession'']] (1976), a variation on theme of [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s [[Vertigo (film)|''Vertigo'']] (1958) scored by Hitchcock's frequent collaborator [[Bernard Herrmann]].

=== 1976–1979: Breakthrough ===
In November 1976, De Palma released [[Carrie (1976 film)|an adaptation]] of [[Stephen King]]'s novel [[Carrie (novel)|''Carrie'']].<ref>{{cite news |last=Eder |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Eder |date=November 17, 1976 |title=Film: After the Prom, the Horror |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/11/17/archives/film-after-the-prom-the-horror.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> Though some see the [[psychic]] thriller as De Palma's bid for a blockbuster, the project was in fact small, underfunded by [[United Artists]], and well under the cultural radar during the early months of production, as King's novel was not yet a bestseller. De Palma gravitated toward the project and changed crucial plot elements based upon his own predilections. The cast was mostly young and relatively new, though [[Sissy Spacek]] and [[John Travolta]] had gained attention for previous work in, respectively, film and [[situation comedy|sitcoms]]. ''Carrie'' became De Palma's first genuine box-office success,<ref>{{cite news |last=Kael |first=Pauline |author-link=Pauline Kael |date=November 15, 1976 |title=The Curse |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1976/11/22/the-curse |magazine=[[The New Yorker]] |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> garnering Spacek and [[Piper Laurie]] Oscar nominations for their performances.<ref>{{cite book |last=Beahm |first=George |date=2015 |title=The Stephen King Companion: Four Decades of Fear from the Master of Horror |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vtJ0CgAAQBAJ&pg=PA463 |location=New York |publisher=[[Thomas Dunne Books]] |page=463 |isbn=978-1-250-05412-8}}</ref> Pre-production for the film had coincided with the casting process for [[George Lucas]]' ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', and many of the actors cast in De Palma's film had been earmarked as contenders for Lucas' movie, and vice versa.<ref>{{Cite magazine |access-date=December 4, 2011 |url=http://www.life.com/gallery/61531/image/2661928/almost-cast-who-lost-iconic-roles#index/53 |title=Sissy Spacek, Carrie Fisher{{Snd}} Princess Leia ('Star Wars'): Sissy Spacek{{Snd}} Almost Cast: Who Lost Iconic Roles?{{Snd}} Photo Gallery |magazine=[[Life (magazine)|Life]] |year=2011<!-- Approx <= 2011 --> |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630031645/https://www.life.com/gallery/61531/image/2661928/almost-cast-who-lost-iconic-roles |archive-date=June 30, 2011 }}</ref> Its suspense sequences are buttressed by teen comedy tropes, and its use of [[split screen (film)|split-screen]], split-diopter and [[slow motion]] shots tell the story visually rather than through dialogue.<ref>{{cite book |last=Anastasova |first=Maria |date=2018 |title=The Suspense of Horror and the Horror of Suspense |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N_N0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA159 |location=Newcastle upon Tyne |publisher=[[Cambridge Scholars Publishing]] |page=159 |isbn=978-1-5275-1801-8}}</ref> As for Lucas' project, De Palma complained in an early viewing of ''Star Wars'' that the opening text crawl was poorly written and volunteered to help edit the text to a more concise and engaging form.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Metz |first1=Cade |title=The 35th Birthday of ''Star Wars''? It Died 15 Years Ago |date=May 25, 2012|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/05/opinion-starwars/ |magazine=[[Wired (website)|Wired.com]] |publisher=Condé Nast Publishing |access-date=October 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141025103934/http://www.wired.com/2012/05/opinion-starwars/|archive-date=October 25, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://time.com/4144367/star-wars-the-force-awakens-crawl/|title=Turn Any ''Time'' Story Into the Beginning of ''Star Wars''| date=December 13, 2015|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=December 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209125045/https://time.com/4144367/star-wars-the-force-awakens-crawl/|archive-date=December 9, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

The financial and critical success of ''Carrie'' allowed De Palma to pursue more personal material. [[Alfred Bester]]'s novel ''[[The Demolished Man]]'' had fascinated De Palma since the late 1950s and appealed to his background in mathematics and [[avant-garde]] storytelling. Its unconventional unfolding of plot (exemplified in its mathematical layout of dialogue) and its stress on perception have analogs in De Palma's filmmaking.{{sfn|Knapp|2003|p=167–168}} He sought to adapt it numerous times, though the project would carry a substantial price tag, and has yet to appear on-screen ([[Steven Spielberg]]'s 2002 adaptation of [[Philip K. Dick]]'s ''[[Minority Report (film)|Minority Report]]'' bears striking similarities to De Palma's visual style and some of the themes of ''The Demolished Man''). The result of his experience with adapting ''The Demolished Man'' was the 1978 science fiction psychic thriller [[The Fury (1978 film)|''The Fury'']], starring [[Kirk Douglas]], [[Carrie Snodgress]], [[John Cassavetes]] and [[Amy Irving]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby |date=March 15, 1978 |title=Film: De Palma Mixes Genres in 'Fury': Psyching a Spy |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/03/15/archives/film-de-palma-mixes-genres-in-furypsyching-a-spy.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> The film was admired by [[Jean-Luc Godard]], who featured a clip in his mammoth ''[[Histoire(s) du cinéma]]'', and [[Pauline Kael]], who championed both ''The Fury'' and De Palma.<ref>{{cite news |last=Scott |first=A. O. | author-link=A. O. Scott |date=September 17, 2006 |title=Say 'Brian De Palma.' Let the Fighting Start. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/17/movies/17scot.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> The film boasted a larger budget than ''Carrie'', though the consensus view at the time was that De Palma was repeating himself, with diminishing returns.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Chang |first1=Justin |last2=Olsen |first2=Mark |date=June 10, 2016 |title=Director Brian De Palma's underrated gems, decade by decade |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-brian-de-palma-underrated-gems-20160609-snap-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:John Travolta, Brian De Palma, and Nancy Allen (1981).jpg|thumb|left|[[John Travolta]], De Palma and [[Nancy Allen (actress)|Nancy Allen]] promoting ''Blow Out'']]

===1980–1996: Established career ===
The 1980s were marked by some of De Palma's best known films, including the erotic thriller [[Dressed to Kill (1980 film)|''Dressed to Kill'']] (1980) starring [[Michael Caine]] and [[Angie Dickinson]]. Although the film received critical acclaim, it caused controversy for its negative depiction of the [[transgender]] community.<ref>{{cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=July 25, 1980 |title='Dressed to Kill,' DePalma Mystery |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/07/25/archives/dressed-to-kill-depalma-mystery.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> The following year he directed ''[[Blow Out]]'' (1981), a variation on [[Michelangelo Antonioni]]'s ''[[Blow-Up]]'' (1966) and [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s ''[[The Conversation]]'' (1974). ''Blow Out'' starred [[John Travolta]], [[Nancy Allen (actress)|Nancy Allen]] and [[John Lithgow]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=July 24, 1981 |title=Travolta Stars in DePalma's 'Blow Out' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/24/movies/travolta-stars-in-depalma-s-blow-out.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> and received critical acclaim. Kael wrote: "De Palma has sprung to the place that [[Robert Altman]] achieved with films such as ''[[McCabe & Mrs. Miller]]'' and [[Nashville (film)|''Nashville'']] and that Francis Ford Coppola reached with ''[[The Godfather]]'' films—that is, to the place where [[genre]] is transcended and what we're moved by is an artist's vision. It's a great movie."<ref>{{Cite magazine| last = Kael| first = Pauline| author-link = Pauline Kael| title=Portrait of the Artist as a Young Gadgeteer| date=July 27, 1981| magazine=[[The New Yorker]]| url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2000/02/21/portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-young-gadgeteer-excerpt}}
</ref> 

De Palma directed [[Scarface (1983 film)|''Scarface'']] (1983), a remake of [[Howard Hawks]]' [[Scarface (1932 film)|1932 film]], starring [[Al Pacino]] and [[Michelle Pfeiffer]] with a screenplay by [[Oliver Stone]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=December 9, 1983 |title=Screen: Al Pacino Stars in 'Scarface' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/09/movies/screen-al-pacino-stars-in-scarface.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> The film received mixed reviews with its negative depictions of ethnic stereotypes, as well as its violence and profanity. It has since been re-evaluated and is now considered a [[cult classic]]. The following year he made another erotic thriller, ''[[Body Double]]'' (1984), starring [[Craig Wasson]] and [[Melanie Griffith]]. The film also received mixed reviews but has since had a reassessment and found acclaim.<ref>{{cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=October 26, 1984 |title=Film: DePalma Evokes 'Vertigo' in Body Double |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/10/26/movies/film-depalma-evokes-vertigo-in-body-double.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> De Palma directed the music video for [[Bruce Springsteen]]'s single "[[Dancing in the Dark (Bruce Springsteen song)|Dancing in the Dark]]" the same year.<ref>{{cite book |last=Cullen |first=Jim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e3L03KPmZb0C&pg=PA119 |title=Born in the U.S.A.: Bruce Springsteen and the American Tradition |date=2005 |publisher=[[Wesleyan University Press]] |isbn=0-8195-6761-2 |location=Middletown, Connecticut |page=119}}</ref>
[[File:Brian De Palma at 1991 Venice Film Festival.jpg|thumb|right|170px|De Palma at the [[48th Venice International Film Festival|1991 Venice Film Festival]]]]
In 1987, De Palma directed the crime film ''[[The Untouchables (1987 film)|The Untouchables]]'', loosely based on the [[The Untouchables (book)|book of the same name]] and adapted by [[David Mamet]]. The film stars [[Kevin Costner]], [[Andy Garcia]], [[Robert De Niro]] and [[Sean Connery]], the last of whom won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] for the film. It received critical acclaim and box-office success.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bennetts |first=Leslie |date=July 6, 1987 |title='The Untouchables': De Palma's Departure |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/07/06/movies/the-untouchables-de-palma-s-departure.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=January 29, 2017}}</ref> De Palma's [[Vietnam War]] film ''[[Casualties of War]]'' (1989) won critical praise but performed poorly in theatres and ''[[The Bonfire of the Vanities (film)|The Bonfire of the Vanities]]'' (1990) was a notorious failure with both critics and audiences.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Macnaughton|first=Oliver|date=April 2, 2021|title=Why did The Bonfire of the Vanities go from bestselling book to box-office bomb?|url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/apr/02/the-bonfire-of-the-vanities-brian-de-palma-film-tom-hanks-bruce-willis|access-date=May 11, 2021|website=the Guardian|language=en}}</ref> De Palma then had subsequent successes with ''[[Raising Cain]]'' (1992) and ''[[Carlito's Way]]'' (1993). ''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]]'' (1996) was his highest-grossing film and started [[Mission: Impossible (film series)|a successful franchise]]''.''

=== 1998–present: Career slump ===
De Palma's work after ''Mission: Impossible'' has been less well received. His ensuing films ''[[Snake Eyes (1998 film)|Snake Eyes]]'' (1998), ''[[Mission to Mars]]'' (2000), and ''[[Femme Fatale (2002 film)|Femme Fatale]]'' (2002) all failed at the box office and received generally poor reviews, though ''Femme Fatale'' has since been revived in the eyes of many [[Film criticism|film critics]] and became a [[cult classic]].<ref name="auto"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Tobias |first=Scott |url=https://www.avclub.com/the-new-cult-canon-femme-fatale-1798215874 |title=The New Cult Canon: Femme Fatale &#124; Film |publisher=The A.V. Club |date=March 5, 2009 |access-date=April 16, 2012}}</ref><ref name="rogerebert.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/features/brian-de-palma-on-passion-passion-and-film |title = Brian De Palma on "Passion," passion and film {{!}} Features {{!}} Roger Ebert| date=August 21, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/09/antonio-banderas/598924/|title=Antonio Banderas Is One of the Best Movie Stars of His Generation|first=David|last=Sims|date=September 27, 2019|website=[[The Atlantic]]|access-date=March 10, 2022}}</ref> His 2006 [[The Black Dahlia (film)|adaptation]] of ''[[The Black Dahlia (novel)|The Black Dahlia]]'' was also unsuccessful and is currently the last movie De Palma has directed with backing from Hollywood.

A political controversy erupted over the portrayal of US soldiers in De Palma's 2007 film ''[[Redacted (film)|Redacted]]''. Loosely based on the [[Mahmudiyah rape and killings|2006 Mahmudiyah killings]] by American soldiers in Iraq, the film echoes themes that appeared in ''Casualties of War''. ''Redacted'' received a limited release in the United States and grossed less than $1 million against a $5 million budget.<ref>{{cite news|last=Elsworth|first=Catherine|date=November 28, 2007|title=Iraq war atrocity film Redacted bombs in US|work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1570815/Iraq-war-atrocity-film-Redacted-bombs-in-US.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1570815/Iraq-war-atrocity-film-Redacted-bombs-in-US.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=September 8, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="aloisi">{{cite news|last=Aloisi|first=Silvia|date=August 31, 2007|title="Redacted" stuns Venice|publisher=Reuters|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSL3190384420070831?feedType=RSS&feedName=entertainmentNews&rpc=22|access-date=December 15, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Redacted (2007) - Financial Information|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Redacted|access-date=May 11, 2021|website=The Numbers}}</ref>

[[File:Брайан Де Пальма (2012, Венеция).JPG|thumb|left|170px|De Palma speaking in 2012]]
De Palma's output has slowed since the release of ''Redacted'', with subsequent projects often falling into [[development hell]], due mostly to creative differences.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kohn|first=Eric|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/brian-de-palma-documetary-hollywood-tv-noah-baumbach-jake-paltrow-1201683547/|title=Brian De Palma: Why He'll Never Work in Hollywood Or on Television Again|website=[[IndieWire]]|date=June 2, 2016|access-date=November 12, 2023}}</ref> In 2012, his film ''[[Passion (2012 film)|Passion]]'' starring [[Rachel McAdams]] and [[Noomi Rapace]] was selected to compete for the [[Golden Lion]] at the [[69th Venice International Film Festival]] but received mixed reviews<ref>{{Cite web|website=Metacritic.com|title=Passion|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/passion|access-date=May 10, 2021}}</ref> and was financially unsuccessful.

De Palma's next project was the thriller ''[[Domino (2019 film)|Domino]]'' (2019), released two years after the film began production. It received generally negative reviews and was released direct-to-VOD in the United States, grossing less than half a million dollars internationally.<ref>{{Cite web|website=Rottentomatoes.com|title=Domino (2019)|date=May 31, 2019 |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/domino_2019|language=en|access-date=May 10, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Domino (2019) - Financial Information|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Domino-(2019)|access-date=May 10, 2021|website=The Numbers}}</ref> De Palma has also expressed dissatisfaction with both the production of the film and the final result; "I never experienced such a horrible movie set."<ref>{{Cite web|title=De Palma: Weinstein Horror Gets A Title; Disses Soderbergh & Calls Domino A "Horrible" Experience|url=https://theplaylist.net/de-palma-domino-predator-soderbergh-20180605/|access-date=May 10, 2021|website=Theplaylist.net|date=June 5, 2018 }}</ref>

In 2018, De Palma published his debut novel in France, ''Les serpents sont-ils nécessaires?'' (English translation: ''Are Snakes Necessary?''), co-written with Susan Lehman.<ref name="AP">{{cite news|last=Coyle|first=Jake|title=Q&A: Brian De Palma on why movies should be beautiful|date=March 18, 2020|work=[[Associated Press]]|url=https://apnews.com/article/0202037e56cf21cb7eab0fe44ff71333|access-date=August 9, 2023}}</ref> It was published in the U.S. in 2020. De Palma and Lehman also wrote a second book, currently unpublished, called ''Terry'', based on one of De Palma's passion projects about a French film production making an adaptation of ''[[Thérèse Raquin]]''.<ref name="Terry">{{cite news|author= Bizio, Silvia|title= L'intervista: Brian de Palma|newspaper= [[la Repubblica]]|date= March 23, 2020|language= Italian|quote= [Susan Lehman and I] have already written another book. It's called ''Terry''. It is inspired by [[Emile Zola]]'s ''Thérèse Raquin'' and it's about a film production that is making a film about the book. There is a [[love triangle]] in the film, a lover, and a murder. And the same thing happens among the characters who are making the film.}}</ref><ref>{{cite podcast|author=Fischbach, Hélène|url=https://www.sondekla.com/user/event/9663|title=Les serpents sont-ils nécessaires ? Une heure avec Brian De Palma et Susan Lehman|publisher=[[Quais du Polar]]|date=March 29, 2019|language=fr|via=Sondekla|quote=I've made a lot of movies here [in France]. And ''Thérèse Raquin'' is an idea I've... always had an idea for a movie for. ''Thérèse Raquin''{{'}}s been made many times, but I think I have a new way of... in fact, that's sort of the subject of our next novel, isn't it? We love the French, that's why we're here. They're very kind to me.|time=53:12}}</ref>

It was announced in 2018 that De Palma would write and direct a horror film titled ''Predator'', inspired by the [[Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Tartaglione|first=Nancy|title=Brian De Palma's Weinstein-Inspired Horror Pic Gets A Title & 'Elle's Producers|date=June 5, 2018|website=Deadline Hollywood|url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/brian-de-palma-harvey-weinstein-horror-film-title-predator-said-ben-said-toronto-1202403553/|accessdate=May 10, 2022}}</ref> and would direct [[Wagner Moura]] in a film titled ''Sweet Vengeance'', based on two real-life murder cases. Filming on the latter was to have begun in early 2019 in [[Montevideo]].<ref>{{cite news|title='Narcos' star Wagner Moura cast in Brian De Palma's next|date=July 11, 2018|newspaper=Business Standard|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/narcos-star-wagner-moura-cast-in-brian-de-palma-s-next-118071100877_1.html|accessdate=May 10, 2022}}</ref> In a 2020 interview with the ''[[Associated Press]]'', De Palma confirmed that ''Predator'' was retitled ''Catch and Kill'' and added that he was to have started filming in August that same year.<ref name="AP"/>

In September 2024, De Palma revealed to ''[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]'' that he had "one other" undisclosed film he was planning to make, and that he was in the process of trying to cast it.<ref>{{cite web|last=Newman|first=Nick|url=https://thefilmstage.com/brian-de-palma-hints-at-new-film/|title=Brian De Palma Hints at New Film|website=The Film Stage|date=September 24, 2024|access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Bergeson|first=Samantha|url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/brian-de-palma-new-film-1235050975/|title=Brian De Palma Says He Has 'One Other Film I'm Planning to Make'|website=[[IndieWire]]|date=September 25, 2024|access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref>
==Filmmaking style, techniques and trademarks==
De Palma's films can fall into two categories: his [[thriller film]]s (''Sisters'', ''Body Double'', ''Obsession'', ''Dressed to Kill'', ''Blow Out'', ''Raising Cain'') and his mainly commercial films (''The Untouchables'', ''Carlito's Way'', and ''Mission: Impossible''). He has often produced "De Palma" films one after the other before going on to direct a different genre, but would always return to his familiar territory. Because of the subject matter and [[graphic violence]] of some of De Palma's films, such as ''Dressed to Kill'', ''Scarface'' and ''Body Double'', they are often at the center of controversy with the [[Motion Picture Association of America]], [[Film criticism|film critics]] and the viewing public.<ref name="AVprimer" />

===Inspirations===
De Palma frequently quotes and refers to other directors' work. His early work was inspired by the films of [[Jean-Luc Godard]]. [[Michelangelo Antonioni]]'s ''[[Blowup]]'' and [[Francis Ford Coppola]]'s ''[[The Conversation]]'' plots were used for the basis of ''Blow Out''. ''The Untouchables''{{'}} finale shoot out in the train station is a clear borrowing from the [[Odessa]] Steps sequence in [[Sergei Eisenstein]]'s ''[[The Battleship Potemkin]]''. The main plot from ''[[Rear Window]]'' was used for ''Body Double'', while it also used elements of ''[[Vertigo (film)|Vertigo]]''. ''Vertigo'' was also the basis for ''Obsession''. ''Dressed to Kill'' was a note-for-note homage to Hitchcock's ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'', including such moments as the surprise death of the lead actress and the exposition scene by the psychiatrist at the end.<ref name="AVprimer" />

===Camera shots===
Film critics have often noted De Palma's penchant for unusual camera angles and compositions. He often frames characters against the background using a [[Dutch angle|canted angle shot]]. [[Split screen (video production)|Split-screen]] techniques have been used to show two separate events happening simultaneously.<ref name="AVprimer" /> To emphasize the dramatic effect of a certain scene De Palma has employed a [[Circle|360-degree]] camera [[Panning (camera)|pan]]. Slow sweeping, panning, and [[tracking shot]]s are often used throughout his films, often through precisely-choreographed [[long take]]s lasting for minutes without cutting. Split focus shots, often referred to as "di-opt", are used by De Palma to emphasize the foreground person/object while simultaneously keeping a background person/object in focus. Slow-motion is frequently used in his films to increase suspense.<ref name="AVprimer" />

==Personal life==
De Palma has been married and divorced three times, to actress [[Nancy Allen (actress)|Nancy Allen]] (1979–1983), producer [[Gale Anne Hurd]] (1991–1993), and Darnell Gregorio (1995–1997). He has one daughter from his marriage to Hurd, and one daughter from his marriage to Gregorio.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brian De Palma|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000361/bio|website=[[IMDb]]|access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> He resides in [[Manhattan]], [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref name="indiewire08-30">{{cite news |url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/brian-de-palma-interview-transcribed?page=2 |title=Brian De Palma Q & A: 'Passion,' McAdams vs. Rapace, Sex Tools UPDATED (New Trailer) |work=[[IndieWire]] |date=August 30, 2013 |first=Anne |last=Thompson |access-date=October 26, 2014 |page=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141026072729/http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/brian-de-palma-interview-transcribed?page=2 |archive-date=October 26, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Reception and legacy==
De Palma is often cited as a leading member of the [[New Hollywood]] generation of film directors, a distinct pedigree who either emerged from film schools or are overtly cine-literate.<ref name="AVprimer" /> His contemporaries include [[Martin Scorsese]], [[Paul Schrader]], [[John Milius]], [[George Lucas]], [[Francis Ford Coppola]], [[Steven Spielberg]], [[John Carpenter]], and [[Ridley Scott]]. His artistry in directing and use of cinematography and suspense in several of his films has often been compared to the work of [[Alfred Hitchcock]].<ref name="AVprimer" /><ref name="FemmeFataleEbert" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-ca-depalma24sep24,0,6512079.story|title=The Director's Craft: The death-deifying De Palma|access-date=December 26, 2007|first=Peter|last=Rainier|work=[[Los Angeles Times]] Calendar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080325222433/http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/cl-ca-depalma24sep24%2C0%2C6512079.story|archive-date=March 25, 2008|url-status=dead }}</ref> Psychologists have been intrigued by De Palma's fascination with pathology, by the aberrant behavior aroused in characters who find themselves manipulated by others.<ref name="Salamon27">Salamon, p. 27.</ref>

De Palma has encouraged and fostered the filmmaking careers of directors such as [[Mark Romanek]] and [[Keith Gordon]], the latter of whom collaborated with him twice as an actor, both in 1979's ''Home Movies'' and 1980's ''Dressed to Kill''.<ref name="Syfy">Zakarin, Jordan (February 18, 2019). [https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/genre-mvp-the-director-behind-all-your-favorite-peak-tv-shows "Keith Gordon is the directorbehind all your favorite peak TV shows"]. ''Syfy.com''.</ref> Filmmakers influenced by De Palma include [[Terrence Malick]],<ref>Fisher, Nate (June 17, 2016). [https://thefilmstage.com/dionysus-in-69-brian-de-palmas-balance-of-the-profane-and-the-political/ "'Dionysus in '69': Brian De Palma's Balance of the Profane and the Political"], Thefilmstage.com</ref> [[Quentin Tarantino]],<ref>Fitzmaurice, Larry (August 28, 2015). [https://www.vulture.com/2015/08/quentin-tarantino-the-complete-syllabus.html "Quentin Tarantino: The Complete Syllabus of His Influences and References"]. [[Vulture (blog)|Vulture]].</ref> [[Ronny Yu]],<ref name="Hammond-1996">{{cite book |last1=Hammond |first1=Stefan |last2=Wilkins |first2=Mike |title=Sex and Zen & A Bullet in the Head: The Essential Guide to Hong Kong's Mind-bending Films |date=1996 |publisher=[[Simon and Schuster]] |isbn=978-0-684-80341-8 |pages=201–202 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-a3AFvoy8-QC&q=%22InfluencedbyBrianDePalma%22&pg=PA202 |access-date=March 13, 2016 |language=en}}</ref> [[Don Mancini]],<ref>Topel, Fred (November 11, 2004). [http://movieweb.com/behind-the-scenes-of-seed-of-chucky/ "Behind-the-Scenes of 'Seed of Chucky'"]. [[MovieWeb]].</ref> [[Nacho Vigalondo]],<ref>Hatfull, Jonathan (August 25, 2014). [https://www.scifinow.co.uk/reviews/frightfest-2014-day-4-review-killers-singers-and-demons/ "FrightFest 2014 Day 4 review: killers, singers and demons"]. [[SciFiNow]].</ref> and [[Jack Thomas Smith]].<ref name="NJStage">Wien, Gary (October 19, 2014). [https://www.newjerseystage.com/articles/getarticle.php?ID=4077 "Infliction: An Interview With Jack Thomas Smith"]. ''New Jersey Stage''.</ref> During an interview with De Palma, Quentin Tarantino said that ''[[Blow Out]]'' is one of his all-time favorite films, and that after watching ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]'' he knew how to make his own film. [[John Travolta]]'s performance as Jack Terry in ''Blow Out'' even resulted in Tarantino casting him as Vincent Vega in his 1994 film ''[[Pulp Fiction]]'', which would go on to reinvigorate Travolta's then-declining career.<ref name="MerryGoRound">Smith, Hilary Jane (July 20, 2021). [https://merrygoroundmagazine.com/i-hate-when-a-man-is-right-brian-de-palmas-blow-out-at-40/ "I Hate When a Man Is Right: Brian De Palma's BLOW OUT at 40"]. ''Merry-Go-Round Magazine''.</ref> Tarantino also placed ''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]'' at number eight in a list of his favorite films.<ref>{{cite web | title = Quentin Tarantino's Handwritten List of the 11 Greatest Movies | url = http://www.openculture.com/2013/08/quentin-tarantinos-handwritten-list-of-the-11-greatest-movies.html | work = Empire | year = 2008 | access-date = October 2, 2013 | archive-date = October 5, 2013 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131005001159/http://www.openculture.com/2013/08/quentin-tarantinos-handwritten-list-of-the-11-greatest-movies.html | url-status = live}}</ref>

Critics who frequently admire De Palma's work include [[Pauline Kael]] and [[Roger Ebert]]. Kael wrote in her review of ''Blow Out'', "At forty, Brian De Palma has more than twenty years of moviemaking behind him, and he has been growing better and better. Each time a new film of his opens, everything he has done before seems to have been preparation for it."<ref name="KaelBO">Kael, Pauline (July 27, 1981). [http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/1830-blow-out-portrait-of-the-artist-as-a-young-gadgeteer "Blow Out: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Gadgeteer"]. ''[[The New Yorker]]''. Retrieved February 3, 2012. <!-- Link is to Criterion reprint of original article. --></ref> In his review of ''[[Femme Fatale (2002 film)|Femme Fatale]]'', [[Roger Ebert]] wrote about the director: "De Palma deserves more honor as a director. Consider also these titles: ''Sisters'', ''Blow Out'', ''The Fury'', ''Dressed to Kill'', ''Carrie'', ''Scarface'', ''Wise Guys'', ''Casualties of War'', ''Carlito's Way'', ''Mission: Impossible''. Yes, there are a few failures along the way (''Snake Eyes'', ''Mission to Mars'', ''The Bonfire of the Vanities''), but look at the range here, and reflect that these movies contain treasure for those who admire the craft as well as the story, who sense the glee with which De Palma manipulates images and characters for the simple joy of being good at it. It's not just that he sometimes works in the style of Hitchcock, but that he has the nerve to."<ref name="FemmeFataleEbert">Ebert, Roger (November 6, 2002). [https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/femme-fatale-2002 "''Femme Fatale'' (2002)"]. ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''. Retrieved January 14, 2012.</ref>

The influential French film magazine ''[[Cahiers du Cinéma]]'' has placed five of De Palma's films (''[[Carlito's Way]]'', ''[[Mission: Impossible (1996 film)|Mission: Impossible]]'', ''[[Snake Eyes (1998 film)|Snake Eyes]]'', ''[[Mission to Mars]]'', and ''[[Redacted (film)|Redacted]]'') on their annual top ten list, with ''Redacted'' placing first on the 2008 list. The magazine also listed ''Carlito's Way'' as the greatest film of the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/critics/cahiers.html|title=Cahiers du Cinema: Top Ten Lists 1951–2009|last=Johnson|first=Eric C.|website=alumnus.caltech.edu|language=en-US|access-date=September 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327102838/http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~ejohnson/critics/cahiers.html|archive-date=March 27, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Julie Salamon]] has written that critics have accused De Palma of being "a perverse misogynist",<ref name="Salamon27" /> to which De Palma has responded with, "I'm always attacked for having an erotic, sexist approach{{Snd}} chopping up women, putting women in peril. I'm making suspense movies! What else is going to happen to them?"<ref>Caputi, Jane (June 15, 1987). ''The Age of Sex Crime''. Popular Press. p. 92</ref>

His films have also been interpreted as feminist and examined for their perceived [[queer]] affinities. In ''[[Film Comment]]''{{'s}} "Queer and Now and Then" column on ''[[Femme Fatale (2002 film)|Femme Fatale]]'', film critic Michael Koresky writes that "De Palma's films radiate an undeniable queer energy" and notes the "intense appeal" De Palma's films have for gay critics.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Koresky |first=Michael |date=July 17, 2019 |title=Queer and Now and Then: 2002 |url=https://www.filmcomment.com/blog/queer-and-now-and-then-2002/ |magazine=[[Film Comment]] |location=New York |publisher=Film at Lincoln Center |access-date=September 5, 2020}}</ref> In her book ''The Erotic Thriller in Contemporary Cinema'', [[Linda Ruth Williams]] writes that "De Palma understood the cinematic potency of dangerous fucking, perhaps earlier than his feminist detractors".<ref>{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Linda |date=September 8, 2005 |title=The Erotic Thriller in Contemporary Cinema |publisher=Indiana University Press |page=84 |isbn=978-0253218360}}</ref>

[[Robin Wood (critic)|Robin Wood]] considered ''[[Sisters (1972 film)|Sisters]]'' an overtly feminist film, writing that "one can define the monster of ''Sisters'' as women's liberation; adding only that the film follows the time-honored horror film tradition of making the monster emerge as the most sympathetic character and its emotional center."<ref>{{cite book |last=Wood |first=Robin |date=July 15, 2003 |title=Hollywood From Vietnam to Reagan&nbsp;... and Beyond |publisher=Columbia University Press |page=134 |isbn=978-0231129671}}</ref> Pauline Kael's review of ''[[Casualties of War]]'', "A Wounded Apparition", describes the film as "feminist" and notes that "De Palma was always involved in examining (and sometimes satirizing) victimization, but he was often accused of being a victimizer".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kael |first=Pauline |date=August 14, 1989 |title=A Wounded Apparition |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1989/08/21/a-wounded-apparition |magazine=The New Yorker |location=New York |publisher=Condé Nast |access-date=September 5, 2020}}</ref> [[Helen Grace]], in a piece for ''Lola'', writes that upon seeing ''[[Dressed to Kill (1980 film)|Dressed to Kill]]'' amidst calls for a boycott from feminist groups Women Against Violence Against Women and [[Women Against Pornography]], that the film "seemed to say more about masculine anxiety than about the fears that women were expressing in relation to the film".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Grace |first=Helen |author-link=Helen Grace |date=September 2013 |title=Responsive Eyes and Crossing Lines: Forty Years of Looking and Reading |url=http://www.lolajournal.com/4/responsive.html |journal=Lola}}</ref> De Palma has also expressed contrition for the depiction of a transgender murderer in the film, saying in a 2016 interview "I don't know what the transgender community would think [of the film now]... Obviously I realize that it's not good for their image to be transgender and also be a psychopathic murderer. But I think that [perception] passes with time. We're in a different time." In the same interview, he said he was "glad" that the film had become a "a favorite of the gay community".<ref>McGovern, Joe. [https://ew.com/article/2016/06/09/brian-de-palma-women/ "Brian De Palma on how he depicts women in his films,"] ''Entertainment Weekly'' June 9, 2016.</ref>

[[David Thomson (film critic)|David Thomson]] wrote in his entry for De Palma, "There is a self-conscious cunning in De Palma's work, ready to control everything except his own cruelty and indifference."<ref>Thomson, p. 257.</ref> [[Matt Zoller Seitz]] objected to this characterisation, writing that there are films from the director which can be seen as "straightforwardly empathetic and/or moralistic".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/from-the-short-stack-david-thomson-on-brian-de-palma-in-the-new-biographical-dictionary-of-film/|title=From the Short Stack: David Thomson on Brian De Palma in ''The New Biographical Dictionary of Film''|last=Seitz|first=Matt Zoller|work=[[Slant Magazine]]|date=September 20, 2006|access-date=February 23, 2020}}</ref>

His life and career in his own words was the subject of the 2015 documentary ''[[De Palma (film)|De Palma]],'' directed by [[Noah Baumbach]] and [[Jake Paltrow]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=De Palma (2015) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/de_palma |access-date=May 10, 2021 |website=Rottentomatoes.com |date=June 10, 2016 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=David Rooney |date=September 8, 2015 |title='De Palma': Venice Review |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/noah-baumbach-jake-paltrows-de-821141 |access-date=April 28, 2016}}</ref>

==Filmography==
{{main|Brian De Palma filmography}} 
{| class="wikitable"
|+Directed features
!scope="col"| Year
!scope="col"| Title
!scope="col"| Distribution 
|-
|rowspan=2| 1968
|scope="row"| ''[[Murder a la Mod]]''
| Aries Documentaries
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Greetings (1968 film)|Greetings]]''
| [[Filmways|Sigma III]]
|-
| 1969
|scope="row"| ''[[The Wedding Party (1969 film)|The Wedding Party]]''
| Ajay Film Company
|-
| 1970
|scope="row"| ''[[Hi, Mom!]]''
| Sigma III 
|-
|rowspan=2| 1972
|scope="row"| ''[[Get to Know Your Rabbit]]''
| [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]] 
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Sisters (1972 film)|Sisters]]''
| [[American International Pictures]]
|-
| 1974
|scope="row"| ''[[Phantom of the Paradise]]''
| [[20th Century Studios|20th Century Fox]]
|-
|rowspan=2| 1976
|scope="row"| ''[[Obsession (1976 film)|Obsession]]''
| [[Columbia Pictures]]
|-
|scope="row"| ''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]''
| [[United Artists]]
|-
| 1978
|scope="row"| ''[[The Fury (1978 film)|The Fury]]''
| 20th Century Fox
|-
| 1979
|scope="row"| ''[[Home Movies (film)|Home Movies]]''
| United Artists
|-
| 1980
|scope="row"| ''[[Dressed to Kill (1980 film)|Dressed to Kill]]''
|rowspan=2|[[Filmways|Filmways Pictures]]
|-
| 1981
|scope="row"| ''[[Blow Out]]''
|-
| 1983
|scope="row"| ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]''
| [[Universal Pictures]]
|-
| 1984
|scope="row"| ''[[Body Double]]''
| Columbia Pictures
|-
| 1986
|scope="row"| ''[[Wise Guys (1986 film)|Wise Guys]]''
| [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] 
|-
| 1987
|scope="row"| ''[[The Untouchables (film)|The Untouchables]]''
| [[Paramount Pictures]] 
|-
| 1989
|scope="row"| ''[[Casualties of War]]''
| Columbia Pictures
|-
| 1990
|scope="row"| ''[[The Bonfire of the Vanities (film)|The Bonfire of the Vanities]]''
| Warner Bros.
|-
| 1992
|scope="row"| ''[[Raising Cain]]''
|rowspan=2|Universal Pictures
|-
| 1993
|scope="row"| ''[[Carlito's Way]]''
|-
| 1996
|scope="row"| ''[[Mission: Impossible (film)|Mission: Impossible]]''
|Paramount Pictures
|-
| 1998
|scope="row"| ''[[Snake Eyes (1998 film)|Snake Eyes]]''
|Paramount Pictures<br>[[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista International]]
|-
| 2000
|scope="row"| ''[[Mission to Mars]]''
| [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Buena Vista Pictures Distribution]]
|-
| 2002
|scope="row"| ''[[Femme Fatale (2002 film)|Femme Fatale]]''
| Warner Bros. 
|-
| 2006
|scope="row"| ''[[The Black Dahlia (film)|The Black Dahlia]]''
| Universal Pictures
|-
| 2007
|scope="row"| ''[[Redacted (film)|Redacted]]''
| [[Magnolia Pictures]] 
|-
| 2012
|scope="row"| ''[[Passion (2012 film)|Passion]]''
| [[Entertainment One]]
|-
| 2019
|scope="row"| ''[[Domino (2019 film)|Domino]]''
| [[Signature Entertainment]]
|-
|}

==Awards and nominations==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Title
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| [[Academy Awards]]
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| [[BAFTA Awards]]
! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;" width=160| [[Golden Globe Awards]]
|-
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
|-
| 1974
| ''[[Phantom of the Paradise]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1976
| ''[[Obsession (1976 film)|Obsession]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| ''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]''
|align=center|2
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
| 1980
| ''[[Dressed to Kill (1980 film)|Dressed to Kill]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
| 1983
| ''[[Scarface (1983 film)|Scarface]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|3
|
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Body Double]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
| 1987
| ''[[The Untouchables (film)|The Untouchables]]''
|align=center|4
|align=center|1
|align=center|4
|align=center|1
|align=center|2
|align=center|1
|-
| 1989
| ''[[Casualties of War]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
| 1993
| ''[[Carlito's Way]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|2
|
|-
| 2006
| ''[[The Black Dahlia (film)|The Black Dahlia]]''
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!align=center|9
!align=center|1
!align=center|4
!align=center|1
!align=center|12
!align=center|1
|}

'''Directed Academy Award performances'''<br />Under De Palma's direction, these actors have received Academy Award wins and nominations for their performances in their respective roles.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Performer
!Film
!Result
|-
! colspan="4" |[[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
|-
|[[49th Academy Awards|1976]]
|[[Sissy Spacek]]
|''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]''
|{{Nom}}
|-
! colspan="4" |[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]
|-
|[[60th Academy Awards|1987]]
|[[Sean Connery]]
|''[[The Untouchables (film)|The Untouchables]]''
|{{Won}}
|-
! colspan="4" |[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress]]
|-
|[[49th Academy Awards|1976]]
|[[Piper Laurie]]
|''[[Carrie (1976 film)|Carrie]]''
|{{Nom}}
|-
|}

==Bibliography==
* ''Are Snakes Necessary?'' (2020), co-authored with Susan Lehman
* ''Ambrose Chapel: A Screenplay'' (2025)
* ''Terry'' (TBA), co-authored with Susan Lehman<ref name="Terry"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* {{Cite book |first1=Brian |last1=De Palma |first2=Susan |last2=Lehman |translator-first1=Jean |translator-last1=Esch |date=May 16, 2018 |title=Les serpents sont-ils nécessaires? |language=fr |location=Paris |publisher={{interlanguage link|Payot & Rivages|fr}} |isbn=978-2-7436-4445-1 |oclc=1037152284 |ref=none}}
* [[David Thomson (film critic)|Thomson, David]] (October 26, 2010). ''The New Biographical Dictionary of Film: Fifth Edition, Completely Updated and Expanded'' (hardcover ed.). Knopf. {{ISBN|978-0-307-27174-7}}.
* [[Julie Salamon|Salamon, Julie]] (1991). ''Devil's Candy: The Bonfire of the Vanities Goes to Hollywood'' (hardcover ed.). Houghton. {{ISBN|0-395-56996-6}}.
* Bliss, Michael (1986). ''Brian De Palma''. Scarecrow.
* Blumenfeld, Samuel, Vachaud, Laurent (2001). ''Brian De Palma''. Calmann-Levy.
* Dworkin, Susan (1984). ''Double De Palma: A Film Study with Brian De Palma''. Newmarket.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Brian De Palma}}
* {{IMDb name|361}}
* [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2003/great-directors/de_palma/ Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database]
* [https://www.flickr.com/groups/doubledepalma/ Photos and discussion around the director]
* [https://www.virtual-history.com/movie/person/66/brian-de-palma Literature on Brian De Palma]

{{Brian De Palma|state=expanded}}
{{Silver Lion for Best Director}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:De Palma, Brian}}
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[[Category:Postmodernist filmmakers]]
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{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Brian De Palma|access_date=2026-02-27}}