The Work of John Cassavetes
John Nicholas Cassavetes is arguably one of the most important filmmakers in America, influencing a diverse group of directors and actors, most notably Martin Scorsese. Cassavetes went through acting school in New Jersey and began teaching method acting in workshops around New York City, insisting on incorporating improvisation into his class. Much of his class made up the first version of his debut film, “Shadows.” With the success of “Shadows,” Cassavetes made “Faces” which was nominated for three Academy Awards and was the beginning of a lifelong personal and professional relationship with key actors John Marley, Seymour Cassel and Ben Gazzara.
Cassavetes wife, Gena Rowlands played powerful, draining and magnificent roles in many of his films, namely the role of a possibly bi-polar housewife driven to the edge in “A Woman Under the