Creator of classic Kiwi films
Filmmaker
GEOFF Murphy was an exceptionally intelligent man who allowed budding artists to come up with ideas rather than imposing his own will, Whangarei lawyer Kelly Johnson says.
Johnson, who starred in three of Murphy’s Kiwi classics, was among scores of people who paid tribute to the acclaimed Kiwi film director, who died on December 3 aged 80.
Johnson acted in three films — Goodbye Pork Pie, Utu, and Spooked — that were written and directed by the leading figure in the fledgling New Zealand film industry in the 1970s and ’80s.
‘‘Geoff was exceptionally intelligent, very concise. He was the brightest person I’ve ever met and was someone who’d get people, even those doing street scenes who never acted before, motivated.
‘‘He’d allow you to come up with ideas and to go with them rather than saying ‘This is what I want’. I used to stay with his family in Hawke’s Bay quite often and his conversations were all about films.’’
Johnson said he first met Murphy before auditioning for a movie in Wellington in 1979 and their last meeting was when the lawyer gave a speech three to four years ago.
The occasion was when Murphy received an honorary arts doctorate at Massey University’s Palmerston North campus.
‘‘He was a bit of a mentor. It’s a big loss. I suppose he was among a handful of people who’d put their mortgage to one side and go out on a limb to make movies.
‘‘He was one of those special people who was prepared to really go for it against all odds. That’s what New Zealanders are renowned for.’’
Citing an example of Murphy’s determination to get things done, Johnson recalled that the production crew on one film didn’t have an onstage camera crane, which was a major issue.
‘‘Geoff got them to make one. They designed and welded it, so that was the extent which he was prepared to go to get the work done,’’ Johnson said.
Murphy grew up in Wellington and attended St Vincent de Paul School and St Patrick’s College, before training and working as a schoolteacher.
As well as his New Zealand films, he made movies in Hollywood, where he directed blockbusters including Young Guns II and the Steven Seagal train thriller Under Siege 2.
He also worked as a second unit director on Dante’s Peak (directed by fellow Kiwi Roger Donaldson) and for Sir Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings.
In 2014, Murphy was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film. He had previously been honoured as one of New Zealand’s 20 greatest living artists when named an Arts Icon by the Arts Foundation.
He was a founding member of the hippie musical and theatrical cooperative Blerta, which toured New Zealand and Australia performing multimedia shows in the early 1970s.
Several Blerta members followed Murphy into film work — including the band’s drummer, Bruno Lawrence, who starred in Utu and The Quiet Earth.
Murphy is survived by his third wife, Dianne, and six children. One of those, son Matt, directed the remake of Goodbye Pork Pie. — NZME