Elia Kazan

Director | Actor | Writer

Date of birth : 09/07/1909

Date of death : 09/28/2003

City of birth : Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey]

“What's called a “difficult decision” is a difficult decision because either way you go, there are penalties.” Elia Kazan was a Istanbul-born film director and writer, remembered for his distinctive ability to direct actors, greatly influenced by his work in theater. His family immigrated to New York when he was a child, and several years later, in 1930, he entered Yale University to study drama. He began to move around the city's theater circuit, staging plays and acting, and soon stood out as a director. His film career started with the feature film A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1944). Then followed The Sea of Grass (1947), and in that same year, Gentleman's Agreement (1947), for which he won his first Oscar Award. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) featured Marlon Brando, was a pivotal film in which the actor earned his recognition as such. His direction emphasized the naturalness and psychological depth of his characters. In the following years, without ceasing to direct plays or his literary activity, he made famous films such as On the Waterfront (1954) and East of Eden (1955). Later, he reduced his film activity to devote himself entirely to literature. Kazan received two Oscars, among other awards, and his legacy is the subject of both admiration and controversy, reflecting the complexity of his life and career.