Creating the look of David Lean's "Doctor Zhivago", art director John Box built Moscow in Spain, and when the weather failed to produce the promised snow, he brought in marble dust as a replacement. An enormous set of the Russian capital was constructed, Box even having rooms built behind the frontages to allow maximum flexibility in shooting. To create the interior of the frozen dacha where Zhivago sits out a war, Box had the set dressed before coating everything in hot, white wax that was then sprayed with cold water. This solidified the wax, with the result that the entire set was draped in shimmering stalactites and a crunching, artifical frost.
After winning another Oscar for "Zhivago", Box designed the musical "Oliver!" (1968), for Carol Reed. Filmed entirely on sets, Box's interpretation of Dickensian London was so brilliantly designed that many people thought much of the film was made on location. It earned him his third Oscar. His fourth followed with Franklin Schaffner's "Nicholas and Alexandra" in 1971.
After designing the past, Box devised the future for Norman Jewison's stylish and violent "Rollerball" (1974). Shot in Munich, Box designed not only the memorable, sloping skating arena, he was also involved in the design of the game itself.
Box continued working through the 70s, 80s, and 90s. He used Welsh locations for Germany in Michael Mann's enigmatic "The Keep" (1983); and again when he created Camelot in "First Knight" (1995).
The work of the art director cannot be under estimated, and the best of them can fool you into thinking Manchester is Mars. But as Box is quick to point out, it's not just down to him - film-making is a team effort. That's true, but the level of detail that some strive for and achieve is often the difference between the mediocre and the masterpiece.
Read about how John Box designed "Lawrence of Arabia".
John Box was speaking to Professor Ian Christie at the , October 2000.
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