Molly Ringwald’s reminiscences of John Hughes and reflections on his work, published in today’s New York Times, go beyond the routine poles of adulation and condemnation that have rapidly followed his sudden and early death. Her view of his films—from the perspective of Hughes’s own relation to them—is extraordinarily perceptive and lucid. This comes as no surprise to me. I had the privilege of interviewing her, nine years ago, in the course of research for a Profile of Jean-Luc Godard that The New Yorker published soon thereafter. In 1987, while still a teen-ager, she played Cordelia to Burgess Meredith’s Lear—or, rather, “Don Learo”—in Godard’s “King Lear,” and I was very eager to hear what she had to say about the experience. Her remarks to me about Godard and his way of working were keenly insightful, her recollections clear and precise. She talked about Godard’s way of lighting, his sense of humor, his minimalist approach to makeup (“I actually think that I look better in that film than I look in other films, and probably for that reason”). She asked him why he chose her for the role, and he told her that it was
She also said that her work with Godard was very important to her personally; she told me that she had planned to make a documentary film about Godard, in which she would interview him. I still hope that she does it.