Elizabeth Taylor and Faye Dunaway Made Star Power Into an Art — These HBO Docs Prove It

As a cinephile with a penchant for Hollywood history and a soft spot for legendary actresses, I found both “Faye” and “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes” to be captivating documentaries that offer an intimate look into the lives of two iconic figures.

Both documentaries, “Faye” and “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes,” share a common thread: they delve into the lives of iconic Oscar-winning actresses, Faye Dunaway from “Network” and “Chinatown,” and the legendary Elizabeth Taylor, who was extensively covered by the media in the 20th century. While “Faye” debuted in July, “Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes” is scheduled to premiere on August 3rd, on HBO.

Although these films have a common theme, it’s a profound and occasionally agonizing longing felt by both subjects. In these documentaries, Joan Dunaway (who is alive at 83 years old and recently interviewed for the film) and Elizabeth Taylor (who passed away in 2011 but left behind extensive recordings of a 1964 debriefing with journalist Richard Meryman), express regret, apprehension, and even embarrassment over career regrets, failed ventures, and their personal struggles being exposed to the public eye. As viewers, we empathize with them first because they are human, but second because their emotional expression transcends humanity. This other yearning that runs through these documentaries is a sense of loss, as it seems modern culture can no longer produce actresses of such great talent and luminous stardom.

Both movies, luckily, are richly packed with film clips, and both offer a vivid portrayal of their main subjects’ unique styles. In Laurent Bouzereau’s editing for “Faye,” Dunaway skillfully employs a firm grasp on control to create a more striking impact when she unexpectedly loses it dramatically. (The iconic photograph of her the morning after winning her Oscar, used as the cover image in this article, is a perfect illustration of her command: Exhaustion and exhilaration reveal a woman who is completely in charge of the image she wants to project.) In interviews with the media, Dunaway appears reserved yet shows an unyielding intellect and agility that leaves no doubt about the depth of her character in “Network’s” exceptional executive or “Chinatown’s” complex femme fatale. Her interview for the documentary feels like a release, an unveiling of thoughts she might have kept hidden from the media up until now. However, the sharpness of her insights remains undiminished.

Simultaneously, director Nanette Burstein portrays Taylor, despite her immense stardom, with an amusing humility on screen, a wisdom that seems decades ahead of its time. It’s mentioned that Taylor was 32 when she took on the role of Martha in “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, and while her physical transformation for the part is undeniably impressive, it’s the changes to her spirit and demeanor – her courage to openly show signs of aging in a somewhat ironic self-deprecation – that stands out as most striking.

Both actors candidly discuss their professional and personal hardships, such as being stereotyped by the public and dealing with mental health issues like bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse, which adversely affected their talent for clear-minded thinking. These issues also contributed to Dunaway’s challenging reputation among colleagues – her onscreen composure often giving way to emotional breakdowns was not an uncommon occurrence off-screen. The film “Mommie Dearest,” a critical flop that significantly impacted her career, is also examined in depth. Dunaway felt she was unearthing something authentic and poignant in her portrayal of Joan Crawford as an abusive mother, but lost herself so deeply in the role that she struggled to maintain coherence without stronger directorial guidance. Those interviewed in “Faye,” including her son, may have a clearer perspective than Dunaway regarding why she took the failure of certain projects so personally. Despite her reluctance towards publicity, even in her final interview, Dunaway channeled her personal struggles and setbacks into her work. To dismiss her work, perhaps, is to disregard her as a person.

In the meantime, Taylor expresses her candid opinions, for example, on her dislike of the movie “Butterfield 8,” which she won an Oscar for despite her health issues, and the challenges of filming “Cleopatra” alongside Richard Burton, a significant love interest in her life. Both Taylor and Burton, two larger-than-life personalities, dominated their field. However, their fame brought its own struggles for someone who initially wanted to tell stories: “It’s a losing battle!,” Taylor tells Meryman. “People already have preconceived notions. They prefer either the good or the bad. And if you try to clarify, you end up losing yourself in the process.”

Taylor frequently shows signs of growing impatience with the media, as demonstrated by her responses during interviews and press conferences. For instance, when questioned about her relationship with ex-husband Eddie Fisher at a joint press conference with Burton, she retorted sharply, “Do you read the papers, darling? I recommend you do,” followed by a dismissive eye roll and toss of her head. Later, in an interview with “60 Minutes”, she expressed that conflicts can strengthen a marriage, stating “fighting is one of the greatest exercises in marital togetherness”. When asked if Burton held dominance in their relationship, she responded playfully, “You must be joking!” This spontaneous behavior, rather than a calculated strategy to express her growing exhaustion with the media’s intrusiveness, showcases Taylor’s exceptional acting talent.

“Elizabeth Taylor: The Hidden Recordings” meticulously builds an argument for Taylor as a multi-faceted genius, not only in her on-screen performances but also in navigating a kind of media landscape that no longer exists. In contrast to Dunaway, who deliberately kept her personal life private, and Taylor, who was open to revealing herself entirely – yet with a knowing smile that hinted she was aware of being observed, both women lived and worked within a media environment harsher and more standardized than the one we have today.

The media environment back then was harsh and tragic for those it focused on, yet it also crafted legends. Compared to the current methods of reporting about actresses, despite their imperfections, the way Dunaway and Taylor were portrayed seems almost unparalleled. However, other aspects of that culture held more potential to create such iconic figures. As Dunaway looks back, she perceives a mark on the world through her work; meanwhile, Taylor utilized her celebrity not just for Hollywood achievements but for philanthropic endeavors remarkable in their scale and relevance. (In an impactful scene from Taylor’s documentary, she shares the reason behind her AIDS fundraising efforts: Few were speaking up or taking action, and she exclaimed, “Enough is enough! I should do something myself!”)

In today’s film industry, it’s rare to see stars being crafted like they were back in the days of Faye Dunaway and Elizabeth Taylor. Thankfully, this change is for the better. However, there are numerous rising actors who captivate us uniquely. These two compelling performances by these women, in their powerful autobiographical films, might momentarily make you wonder if we’re still creating such extraordinary talents at all.

“Elizabeth Taylor: The Lost Tapes” premieres on HBO and Max on Aug. 3; “Faye” is streaming on Max.

2024-08-03 19:17

Elizabeth Taylor and Faye Dunaway Made Star Power Into an Art — These HBO Docs Prove It

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