The scope of our ambition — Kelford Labs Daily

British film director David Lean was one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. You might recognize some of his titles like Lawrence of Arabia, Brief Encounter, or Doctor Zhivago.

Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman was one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. You might recognize titles like Persona, Cries & Whispers, or Wild Strawberries.

They were fans of each other’s work, but as Lean’s career and fame grew, so did his productions.

Whereas Bergman’s films stayed comparatively small in scale.

And yet, if you ask any film buff whose movies were better, they’d be hard pressed to answer. They were both absolute legends and pioneers of their craft.

But, cinematically, their films can appear as almost opposites, or they certainly occupy opposite ends of the spectrum of “scale.”

In Roger Ebert’s essay on Bergman, which I read in his book Awake in the Dark, he provided this delightful anecdote:

“At the Cannes Film Festival one year, [Bergman’s regular cinematographer] said, Bergman was talking with David Lean, the director of Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago.

‘What kind of crew do you use?’ Lean asked.

‘I make my films with eighteen good friends,’ Bergman said.

‘That’s interesting,’ said Lean. ‘I make mine with 150 enemies.’”

I love that story. Because it speaks to tradeoffs, to choices.

There are always multiple ways of doing things, we just have to remember that it takes trades, not compromises.

It takes commitment to the scope and scale of our ambition, not a muddy middle path.

So whenever I take on a new project, I now often ask myself: “Bergman or Lean”?

Do I want to make something small, something focused? Or something vast and expansive?

Both have their advantages, their costs and rewards.

The only path that doesn’t is the one straight down the middle.

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