DIRECTORS CLOSE UP.(Review)

DIRECTORS CLOSE UP

MODERATED AND EDITED BY JEREMY KAGAN (FOCAL PRESS; 253 PGS.; $19.95)

Though at times not the easiest narrative to wade through, Jeremy Kagan's excerpts of interviews with directors nominated for best film by the Directors Guild of America is an invaluable reference book.

The volume is filled with intriguing insights into the process of filmmaking by many of the world's most acclaimed directors, including Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, Robert Zemeckis, Barry Levinson, Oliver Stone, Peter Weir, Quentin Tarantino and 14 others.

Like a carefully assembled documentary film, book introduces each director in a brief section …