---
name: "John Boorman"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/john-boorman"
fi1m_id: "john-boorman"
imdb_id: "nm0000958"
tmdb_id: 19665
wikidata_id: "Q55277"
roles: ["Director","Producer","Writer"]
born: "18 January 1933"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 72
average_as: "director"
average_over: 6
updated: "2026-10-04T19:17:07.631826+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."
---

# John Boorman

## Identity

John Boorman

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/john-boorman
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** john-boorman
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000958
- **TMDB ID:** 19665
- **Wikidata ID:** Q55277
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boorman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55277, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000958/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/19665

Director and producer. Born 18 January 1933 in Shepperton, Middlesex, England, UK.

## Details

- **Work:** Director, Producer, Writer
- **Born:** 18 January 1933, Shepperton, Middlesex, England, UK
- **Active:** 1967–1987
- **Also known as:** 존 부어맨
- **Frequently works with:** [Rospo Pallenberg](https://film.one/person/rospo-pallenberg.md)
- **BAFTA Film Awards:** 1 BAFTA (1 won · 3 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as director, over 6 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 84 (1), 1970s 62 (2), 1980s 76 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 72 to 69 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Adventure 3, Thriller 2, Action 1, Crime 1, Family 1
- **Screen time:** 11 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $140m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boorman, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q55277, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000958/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/19665

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*The Emerald Forest*](https://film.one/film/the-emerald-forest.md) (66)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Exorcist II: The Heretic*](https://film.one/film/exorcist-ii-the-heretic.md) (38)

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

## Fi1m on John Boorman

> John Boorman takes sorcery and survival seriously, and we value the strange, forceful films that result. *Excalibur* earns our recommendation, with a caveat about solemn dialogue and too little time for its people.

In *Excalibur* (1981), bloodshed and sorcery receive the same grave attention, with no joke to let us off taking the legend seriously. Boorman and co-writer Rospo Pallenberg work from Thomas Malory, treating sex, magic and royal authority as equally urgent concerns. It is involving fantasy, though some of the dialogue sounds burdened by everything it has to convey.

That taste for strangeness runs through the stylised crime of *Point Blank* (1967), which established his Hollywood career. *Deliverance* (1972) took him into survival drama and the encounter between civilisation and nature. The science fiction of *Zardoz* (1974) gave his interest in myth another setting. Such ambition could become unwieldy, particularly in the uneven tone of *Exorcist II: The Heretic* (1977). Yet the turn towards the semi-autobiographical *Hope and Glory* (1987), about childhood during the Blitz, matters too: Boorman could find a subject in remembered experience without reaching for another legend.

Alex Thomson's photography helps *Excalibur* sustain that strangeness, while editors Donn Cambern and John Merritt keep the spectacle moving. There is force in that pace, but not always enough time for us to get to know the people between the large events. We were stirred by the ceremonial music, which gives Boorman's emphatic staging the gravity it needs. Trevor Jones's score shares the soundtrack with Orff and Wagner, and the scale of the sound suits a director unwilling to make this material modest. It can also become overbearing.

That is where we would put the limit on our enthusiasm. The scale works when it makes the magic feel dangerous; it is less useful when a speech is already labouring to be profound. Nicol Williamson and Helen Mirren are good reasons to stay with *Excalibur*, although the storytelling could give its people more room. Begin there if fantasy is yours, and allow a little patience for the speeches.

## Biography

John Boorman is a British film director, screenwriter and producer. Born on 18 January 1933 in Shepperton, Middlesex, England, he began his career in television, directing documentaries for the BBC before making his feature debut with *Catch Us If You Can* (1965). He gained international recognition with *Point Blank* (1967) and *Deliverance* (1972).

Boorman directed, co-wrote and produced *Excalibur* (1981), an adaptation of Arthurian legend filmed in Ireland. His other notable films include *Zardoz* (1974), *The Emerald Forest* (1985), *Hope and Glory* (1987) and *The Tailor of Panama* (2001). He has received Academy Award nominations for directing *Deliverance* and *Hope and Glory*, and was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship in 2004.

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

## On Fi1m (6)

- *Hope and Glory* (1987), Fi1m 82, as Narrator (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/hope-and-glory.md)
- *The Emerald Forest* (1985), Fi1m 66, Producer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-emerald-forest.md)
- *Excalibur* (1981), Fi1m 79, Screenplay, Director, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/excalibur.md)
- *Exorcist II: The Heretic* (1977), Fi1m 38, Producer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/exorcist-ii-the-heretic.md)
- *Deliverance* (1972), Fi1m 85, Producer, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/deliverance.md)
- *Point Blank* (1967), Fi1m 84, Director — [page](https://film.one/film/point-blank.md)

## Complete filmography (33)

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

- *The Professor and the Madman* (2019), Writer
- *Queen & Country* (2015), Writer, Director, Producer
- *The Tiger's Tail* (2006), Director, Producer, Writer
- *What If?* (2006), Actor
- *In My Country* (2004), Producer, Director
- *The Tailor of Panama* (2001), Director, Producer, Screenplay
- *The General* (1998), Director, Producer, Writer
- *Lee Marvin: A Personal Portrait by John Boorman* (1998), Director, Writer
- *Angela Mooney Dies Again* (1997), Executive Producer
- *Lumière & Company* (1995), Director
- *Picture Windows* (1995), series, Director, Writer
- *Beyond Rangoon* (1995), Director, Producer
- *Picture Windows: Two Nudes Bathing* (1995), Director, Writer, Producer
- *I Dreamt I Woke Up* (1991), Director, Writer
- *Where the Heart Is* (1990), Director, Writer, Producer
- *Just a Song and Dance* (1987), Actor
- *Hope and Glory* (1987), as Narrator (voice) · Writer, Director — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/hope-and-glory.md)
- *The Emerald Forest* (1985), Producer, Director — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/the-emerald-forest.md)
- *Dream One* (1984), Producer
- *Angel* (1982), Executive Producer
- *Excalibur* (1981), Screenplay, Director, Producer — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/excalibur.md)
- *The Hard Way* (1980), Executive Producer
- *Long Shot* (1978), as The Director
- *Exorcist II: The Heretic* (1977), Director, Producer — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/exorcist-ii-the-heretic.md)
- *Zardoz* (1974), as Farming Brutal Shot by Zed (uncredited) · Writer, Producer, Director
- *Deliverance* (1972), Director, Producer — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/deliverance.md)
- *Leo the Last* (1970), Director, Writer
- *Hell in the Pacific* (1968), Director
- *Point Blank* (1967), Director — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/point-blank.md)
- *Catch Us If You Can* (1965), Director
- *In View: Six Days to Saturday* (1963), Narrator, Director, Writer, Producer
- *The Honey Wars*, Original Story, Producer
- *The Quarry*, Director

## Gallery

- ![John Boorman](https://film.one/media/person/117661/gallery-a72b3d42ba3d.jpg) John Boorman — Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/John_Boorman_Cannes_2014.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Engelse regisseur John Boorman tijdens persconferentie over de film "Z (1974)](https://film.one/media/person/117661/gallery-8af6733134ab.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Engelse regisseur John Boorman tijdens persconferentie over de film "Z (1974) — W. Punt for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Engelse_regisseur_John_Boorman_tijdens_persconferentie_over_de_film_Zardoz%2C_Bestanddeelnr_927-4097.jpg/1280px-Engelse_regisseur_John_Boorman_tijdens_persconferentie_over_de_film_Zardoz%2C_Bestanddeelnr_927-4097.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Engelse regisseur John Boorman tijdens persconferentie over de film "Z (1974)](https://film.one/media/person/117661/gallery-6ec85f774b86.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Engelse regisseur John Boorman tijdens persconferentie over de film "Z (1974) — W. Punt for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0c/Engelse_regisseur_John_Boorman_tijdens_persconferentie_over_de_film_Zardoz%2C_Bestanddeelnr_927-4098.jpg/1280px-Engelse_regisseur_John_Boorman_tijdens_persconferentie_over_de_film_Zardoz%2C_Bestanddeelnr_927-4098.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Near Roundwood, County Wicklow (2009)](https://film.one/media/person/117661/gallery-0dec9d3d7668.jpg) Near Roundwood, County Wicklow (2009) — Sarah777, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Exaliburdrive.JPG/1280px-Exaliburdrive.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![John Boorman](https://film.one/media/person/117661/gallery-2602e7dfdffa.jpg) John Boorman — Image via TMDB
- ![John Boorman](https://film.one/media/person/117661/gallery-9f7a99de9afa.jpg) John Boorman — Image via TMDB
- ![John Boorman](https://film.one/media/person/117661/gallery-4792055cb69c.jpg) John Boorman — Image via TMDB
- ![John Boorman at the 2006 San Sebastian International Film Festival.John Boorman (The Tiger's Tail)](https://film.one/media/person/117661/gallery-c5eb6d5b0774.jpg) John Boorman at the 2006 San Sebastian International Film Festival.John Boorman (The Tiger's Tail) — Mario Antonio Pena Zapatería from Irun, Spain, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/JohnBoorman_2006.jpg/1280px-JohnBoorman_2006.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![John Boorman tijdens persconferentie over de film "Zardoz" 26 augustus 1974](https://film.one/media/person/117661/gallery-a500bee8a415.jpg) John Boorman tijdens persconferentie over de film "Zardoz" 26 augustus 1974 — W. Punt for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5d/John_Boorman_%281974%29.jpg/1280px-John_Boorman_%281974%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 5 nominated

- 1988: Best Picture (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*
- 1988: Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*
- 1988: Best Director (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*
- 1973: Best Picture (nominated), for *Deliverance*
- 1973: Best Director (nominated), for *Deliverance*

### BAFTA Film Awards — 1 won, 3 nominated

- 2004: BAFTA Fellowship (won)
- 1988: Best Film (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*
- 1988: Best Direction (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*
- 1988: Best Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*

### Golden Globes — 1 won, 4 nominated

- 1987: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy (won), for *Hope and Glory*
- 1987: Best Screenplay (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*
- 1987: Best Director (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*
- 1972: Best Motion Picture – Drama (nominated), for *Deliverance*
- 1972: Best Director (nominated), for *Deliverance*

### Cannes Film Festival — 2 won

- 1998: Cannes Best Director Award (won), for *The General*
- 1970: Cannes Best Director Award (won), for *Leo the Last*

### Berlin International Film Festival — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2001: Golden Bear (nominated), for *The Tailor of Panama*

### Other awards — 5 won, 7 nominated

- Knight Bachelor 2022: Knight Bachelor (won)
- Independent Spirit Awards 1999: Best Foreign Film (nominated), for *The General*
- Satellite Award for Best Director 1999: Satellite Award for Best Director (nominated), for *The General*
- Independent Spirit Awards 1988: Best Foreign Film (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay 1988: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay (nominated), for *Hope and Glory*
- London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year 1987: London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year (won), for *Hope and Glory*
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director 1987: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Director (won), for *Hope and Glory*
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director 1987: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Director (won), for *Hope and Glory*
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay 1987: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay (won), for *Hope and Glory*
- Hugo Awards 1982: Best Dramatic Presentation (nominated), for *Excalibur*
- Hugo Awards 1975: Best Dramatic Presentation (nominated), for *Zardoz*
- Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film 1972: Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film (nominated), for *Deliverance*

*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/john-boorman