Unique among film books, Ismail Merchant's The Proprietor not only includes the screenplay, it also shows the creative and practical process in close-up. In finding material for his European-American directorial debut, Merchant wanted "extraordinary, unbelievable things to happen" through the seemingly random events of everyday life such as: a meeting with the great French film actress Jeanne Moreau; a magnificent apartment in Paris, which was to become Merchant's own home; and the intricacies of the traditional French property auction.

As the script developed with writers Jean-Marie Besset and George Trow, the story grew to become one about a seminal writer of the '60s who realizes that she no longer recognizes the world she helped invent. With the incomparable Moreau, the international cast also stars Sean Young, Sam Waterston, Nell Carter, Austin Pendleton, Marc Tissot, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Pierre Vaneck, and Charlotte de Turckheim. Included here are hilarious details from the production such as how Merchant impersonated the Maharaja of Jodhpur to gain access to a hotel and how, unable to find suitable a Parisian apartment, an entire scene was suddenly shifted onto a barge in the middle of the Seine.

With a foreword by Moreau, lavish illustrations, screenplay, synopsis, and a special section on the making of the film, The Proprietor reveals some of the secrets of the acclaimed Merchant Ivory working method. It also shows how, despite the rigors of making an important artistic statement today, the final result can live happily ever after.

Reviews

"I love The Proprietor for its describing the vagrant coincidences, the luck, and urgent strategems that conspire to bring wonderful films into being—and especially the making of this particular film. This book is a little history of one remarkable film, but also, it is a testament to the value of friendship in the creative process—passionate friendship, trust, and generosity. "

Paul Theroux

"To the layman, all moviemaking is magical; but Merchant-Ivory films are perhaps more touched by magic than most. So this insider's account is the more valuable for its illuminations into areas not otherwise available. The portrait of Ismail Merchant that emerges is larger than life, most touching and most ingenious."

Joyce Carol Oates