There are few things more vulnerable than crafting a piece of art from start to finish, especially when you’re a first-time film director. Movies are often judged purely as products, and the blood, sweat, and tears behind the scenes can be ignored entirely. It can be demoralizing to watch the project you’ve focused on for years not reach an audience, enough to make you want to never do it again.
In 1955, a highly esteemed actor tried his hand behind the camera. The result is a lush, haunting thriller inspired by the silent film era. But a middling box office reception kept him from directing another film. However, like rock bands inspired by The Velvet Underground, this movie may not have found commercial success, but it managed to influence an entire generation of artists, from Spike Lee to the Coen Brothers to Ari Aster. It may not have sparked its own director’s career, but it will never be forgotten.
