R.I.P. Milos Forman (1932-2018)

von Clayton Davis · 15.04.2018

This weekend, the film world lost a giant of a director. At 86 years old, Czech born filmmaker Milos Forman has passed away. A two time Academy Award winning director (and three time Oscar nominee in Best Director), Forman was a master. Taking the Director prize for "Amadeus" and "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (both of which also won Best Picture too), he wound up with a career that spanned nearly 60 years. From his early days in Czechoslovakia to great success in Hollywood, the man reached the kinds of heights that any filmmaker would take in a heartbeat. He will definitely be missed.

Tributes poured in on social media for Forman, who also was nominated in Best Director for "The People vs Larry Flynt." He was feted despite not having made a film in about a decade, which goes to show how much of an impact he left on the movie world. The above mentioned works, along with things like "Man on the Moon," all combine to create a hell of a career. The kind words came from all over the spectrum, including a much shared one from fellow filmmaker Edger Wright. He tweeted out the following:

Very sad to hear that the great director Miloš Forman has passed away. He had a tremendous filmography that documented the rebel heart and human spirit. I have seen 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' enough times to be able to silently mouth along with the movie. RIP. pic.twitter.com/4QwOHL7tS4

— edgarwright (@edgarwright) April 14, 2018
Here are some of the other thoughts shared yesterday by both colleagues and critics:

Ava DuVernay

I still remember the rare images of black life in the early 1900s offered in RAGTIME. Saw it as a teen and recall crying. Howard Rollins, Debbie Allen, Moses Gunn. Directed by Milos Forman. He made many films I enjoy. But I’ll be rewatching RAGTIME today. In appreciation. #RIP pic.twitter.com/QOC1lSvzX7

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) April 14, 2018
Mark Harris

Very sad to see that the great Miloš Forman has died at 86. A brilliant director who made only about a dozen feature films, every one of which is worth revisiting. Hair, Amadeus, Cuckoo's Nest--an indelible legacy.

— Mark Harris (@MarkHarrisNYC) April 14, 2018
M. Night Shyamalan

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is one of my favorite films of all time. Blatantly steal from it in #Glass. Milos Forman was a true artist.

— M. Night Shyamalan (@MNightShyamalan) April 14, 2018
Bilge Ebiri

Rest In Peace, Milos Forman. The rare director who truly understood freedom.

— Bilge Ebiri (@BilgeEbiri) April 14, 2018
Guy Lodge

Farewell to Miloš Forman, who never made the same film twice, and never made one without interest. Now's a good time to seek out the wonderful TAKING OFF if you've never seen it.

— Guy Lodge (@GuyLodge) April 14, 2018
Joe Dante

We lost one of our great filmmakers with the passing of Milos Forman. It's time to solve the music rights issues & release a Blu ray of one of his greatest works: TAKING OFF - one of the most accurate portraits of the USA circa 1971 as it could only be interpreted by an outsider. pic.twitter.com/8hEJbPyWs8

— Joe Dante (@joe_dante) April 14, 2018
Rest in peace...