---
name: "Brian De Palma"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/brian-de-palma"
fi1m_id: "brian-de-palma"
imdb_id: "nm0000361"
tmdb_id: 1150
wikidata_id: "Q189526"
roles: ["Director","Writer"]
born: "11 September 1940"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_as: "director"
average_over: 10
updated: "2026-09-24T03:22:38.836372+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Brian De Palma

## Identity

Brian De Palma

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/brian-de-palma
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** brian-de-palma
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000361
- **TMDB ID:** 1150
- **Wikidata ID:** Q189526
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_De_Palma, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189526, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000361/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1150

Director and writer. Born 11 September 1940 in Newark, New Jersey, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Writer
- **Born:** 11 September 1940, Newark, New Jersey, USA
- **Active:** 1974–2006
- **Also known as:** Brian Russell De Palma
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 11: 10 directing, 1 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Al Pacino](https://film.one/person/al-pacino.md), [David Koepp](https://film.one/person/david-koepp.md), [John Travolta](https://film.one/person/john-travolta.md), [Martin Bregman](https://film.one/person/martin-bregman.md), [Tim Robbins](https://film.one/person/tim-robbins.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as director, over 10 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 87 (3), 1980s 83 (3), 1990s 84 (2), 2000s 60 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 70 across 10 titles
- **Score spread:** 6 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Genres:** Thriller 7, Crime 6, Drama 4, Mystery 3, Action 2, Adventure 2
- **Screen time:** 20 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $887m across 10 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_De_Palma, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q189526, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000361/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1150

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Blow Out*](https://film.one/film/blow-out.md) (88), [*Carlito's Way*](https://film.one/film/carlitos-way.md) (86), [*Femme Fatale*](https://film.one/film/femme-fatale.md) (74)
- **Apple TV:** [*Mission: Impossible*](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible.md) (81), [*The Untouchables*](https://film.one/film/the-untouchables.md) (81)
- **HBO Max:** [*Carrie*](https://film.one/film/carrie.md) (86)
- **Netflix:** [*Scarface*](https://film.one/film/scarface.md) (79)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Brian De Palma

> Brian De Palma gives suspense time to work, and we rate him for it. His elaborate set-pieces can be easier to follow than his plots; when the physical danger is clear, the showing off earns its keep.

De Palma lets a dangerous job look difficult. In *Mission: Impossible* (1996), he gives us time to consider it, letting preparation become part of the suspense rather than something to get through before the action. We were tense during the vault burglary because we understood enough of the problem to anticipate a mistake. The scene does not need to hurry to hold us. This is De Palma at his most persuasive: an elaborate piece of staging with a simple reason for us to care.

The early independent films, including *Greetings* (1968), gave way to the horror breakthrough of *Carrie* (1976). Crime supplied a durable home for his interests in obsession and violence, through *Scarface* (1983), *The Untouchables* (1987) and *Carlito's Way* (1993). Al Pacino leads the last of those, and its fluid camerawork is part of the attraction. The particular pleasure of *Mission: Impossible* is that such close attention to movement has an immediate use: we need to understand how the job can be done.

Long tracking takes, tilted frames and slow motion make his control conspicuous. Cinematographer Stephen H. Burum and composer Pino Donaggio are recurring collaborators, a useful reminder that this degree of control involves other people's craft. The debt to Hitchcock is plain in his watchful framing and his habit of building suspense through images rather than dialogue. The accusation of pastiche is understandable, but the vault burglary gives those borrowed methods a demanding job to do, and we have little time to spend congratulating ourselves on recognising them.

The caveat is clearest in *Mission: Impossible*: David Koepp and Robert Towne's screenplay surrounds Ethan Hunt's task of protecting a list of secret agents with more complications than it needs. Tom Cruise keeps those schemes urgent, but urgency cannot make every explanation clear. De Palma's patience with the action is what earns our patience with the plot. Later titles include *Femme Fatale* (2002) and *Domino* (2019); we would still send a newcomer to the spy thriller first. Go for the suspense, and do not expect every explanation to help.

## Biography

Brian De Palma is an American film director and screenwriter. Born on 11 September 1940 in Newark, New Jersey, he studied physics at Columbia University before earning an MA in theatre from Sarah Lawrence College in 1964. He began making films in the 1960s, collaborating early on with Robert De Niro on projects such as *Greetings* (1968) and *The Wedding Party* (1969).

De Palma is known for directing *Carrie* (1976), *Dressed to Kill* (1980), *Blow Out* (1981), *Scarface* (1983), *The Untouchables* (1987), *Carlito's Way* (1993) and *Mission: Impossible* (1996). His filmography also includes *Snake Eyes* (1998), *Mission to Mars* (2000) and *The Black Dahlia* (2006).

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, elcinema.com, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (11)

### Directed (10) — the average rests on these

- *The Black Dahlia* (2006), Fi1m 56, as Screen Test Director (voice) (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-black-dahlia.md)
- *Femme Fatale* (2002), Fi1m 74, Director, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/femme-fatale.md)
- *Mission to Mars* (2000), Fi1m 50, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/mission-to-mars.md)
- *Mission: Impossible* (1996), Fi1m 81, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible.md)
- *Carlito's Way* (1993), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/carlitos-way.md)
- *The Untouchables* (1987), Fi1m 81, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-untouchables.md)
- *Scarface* (1983), Fi1m 79, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/scarface.md)
- *Blow Out* (1981), Fi1m 88, Writer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/blow-out.md)
- *Carrie* (1976), Fi1m 86, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/carrie.md)
- *Phantom of the Paradise* (1974), Fi1m 82, Director, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/phantom-of-the-paradise.md)

### Crew (1)

- *The Godfather Part II* (1974), Fi1m 92, Musician — [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md)

## Complete filmography (53)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Short Cuts : Scarface de Brian de Palma* (2026), Original Film Writer
- *Brian De Palma par Brian De Palma Leçon de cinéma* (2022), as Brian De Palma
- *Domino* (2019), Director
- *Passion* (2013), Director, Writer
- *Walk of Fame* (2012), Thanks
- *Redacted* (2007), Director, Writer
- *Sisters* (2006), Original Story, Screenplay
- *The Black Dahlia* (2006), as Screen Test Director (voice) (uncredited) · Director — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/the-black-dahlia.md)
- *Gangland: Bullets over Hollywood* (2005), Actor
- *Black Dahlia Confidential* (2004), Actor
- *Femme Fatale* (2002), Director, Writer — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/femme-fatale.md)
- *Brian De Palma : Les Années 60* (2002), Actor
- *Bruce Springsteen: The Complete Video Anthology 1978-2000* (2001), Director
- *Mission to Mars* (2000), Director — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/mission-to-mars.md)
- *Stir of Echoes* (1999), Thanks
- *Snake Eyes* (1998), Director, Producer, Story
- *Mission: Impossible* (1996), Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible.md)
- *Rotwang Must Go!* (1994), as Famous American Movie Director
- *Carlito's Way* (1993), Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/carlitos-way.md)
- *Pehla Nasha* (1993), Original Story
- *Raising Cain* (1992), Screenplay, Director
- *The Bonfire of the Vanities* (1990), Producer, Director
- *A Boy And His Car* (1990), Thanks
- *Casualties of War* (1989), Director
- *The Untouchables* (1987), Director — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/the-untouchables.md)
- *Wise Guys* (1986), Director
- *Body Double* (1984), Producer, Director, Screenplay, Story
- *Scarface* (1983), Director — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/scarface.md)
- *Blow Out* (1981), Director, Writer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/blow-out.md)
- *Dressed to Kill* (1980), Director, Writer
- *Home Movies* (1980), Director, Story, Producer
- *The Fury* (1978), Director
- *Carrie* (1976), Director — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/carrie.md)
- *Obsession* (1976), Director, Story
- *The Godfather Part II* (1974), Musician — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/the-godfather-part-ii.md)
- *Phantom of the Paradise* (1974), Director, Writer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/phantom-of-the-paradise.md)
- *Sisters* (1973), Screenplay, Director, Original Story
- *Get to Know Your Rabbit* (1972), Director
- *Hi, Mom!* (1970), Director, Screenplay, Story
- *Dionysus in '69* (1970), Director, Editor, Director of Photography
- *The Wedding Party* (1969), Director, Writer, Producer, Editor
- *To Bridge This Gap* (1969), Director
- *Greetings* (1968), Director, Editor
- *Murder à la Mod* (1968), Director, Writer, Editor
- *Show Me a Strong Town and I'll Show You a Strong Bank* (1966), Director
- *The Responsive Eye* (1965), Editor, Director, Director of Photography
- *Jennifer* (1964), Director
- *Woton's Wake* (1963), Director, Writer
- *660124: The Story of an IBM Card* (1961), Director
- *Icarus* (1960), Director
- *Stalkings*, Director
- *Catch and Kill*, Director, Writer
- *Sweet Vengeance*, Writer, Director

## Gallery

- ![Brian De Palma](https://film.one/media/person/82814/gallery-609fbeb30083.jpg) Brian De Palma — jon rubin, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Brian_De_Palma_%28Venice_2007%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Brian De Palma](https://film.one/media/person/82814/gallery-5e2f49036894.jpg) Brian De Palma — Image via TMDB
- ![Brian De Palma](https://film.one/media/person/82814/gallery-05382adec137.jpg) Brian De Palma — Image via TMDB
- ![Brian De Palma](https://film.one/media/person/82814/gallery-8650276917cc.jpg) Brian De Palma — Image via TMDB
- ![Brian De Palma](https://film.one/media/person/82814/gallery-2d915fa8183b.jpg) Brian De Palma — Image via TMDB
- ![Brian De Palma](https://film.one/media/person/82814/gallery-2937c73d3c57.jpg) Brian De Palma — Image via TMDB
- ![Brian De Palma](https://film.one/media/person/82814/gallery-e2969eeabbd8.jpg) Brian De Palma — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 0 won, 5 nominated

- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 1991: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director (nominated), for *The Bonfire of the Vanities*
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture 1991: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture (nominated), for *The Bonfire of the Vanities*
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 1985: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director (nominated), for *Body Double*
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 1984: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director (nominated), for *Scarface*
- Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director 1981: Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director (nominated), for *Dressed to Kill*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/brian-de-palma