Biography
In the realm of television, there are likely few directors as prolific as Philip Saville. A one-time actor who stepped behind the camera as his onscreen career waned in the mid-'50s, Saville appeared in such features as
The Straw Man (1953) and
On the Run (1956) before making his directorial debut with the small-screen feature Curtains for Harry (1955). Quickly following with such efforts as
Hamlet (1964),
Oedipus the King (1968), and The Rainbirds (1971), it didn't take long for Saville to hit his stride. In 1986, Saville directed the BAFTA-winning miniseries
The Life and Loves of a She-Devil (remade stateside with
Roseanne in the lead three years later). In addition to features, he helmed episodes for such popular U.K. series as
First Born (1988) and
The Buccaneers (1995). Saville later gained possibly his most international exposure to date as the director of the urban comedy drama
Metroland (1997), a touching marriage drama featuring
Christian Bale and
Emily Watson, which told the story of one man's conflict between his current life and how it might have been different had he taken another path. Though Saville subsequently returned to television for most of his work, he ventured into feature territory once again with the 2003 biblical drama
The Gospel of John, and the 2004 Holocaust drama Love Is a Survivor. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide