David Lean 1955, Lean began to make internationally co-produced films financed by the big Hollywood studios; in 1970, however, the critical failure of his film "Ryan's Daughter" led him to take a fourteen-year break from filmmaking, during which he planned a number of film projects which never came to fruition. In 1984 he had a career revival with "A Passage to India", adapted from E. M. Forster's novel; it was an instant hit with critics but proved to be the last film Lean would direct. Lean's affinity for striking visuals and inventive editing techniques has led him to be lauded by directors
David Lean its televised versions; the theatrical re-release greatly revived Lean's reputation. Several of the many other later twentieth century directors who have acknowledged significant influence by Lean include Stanley Kubrick, George Lucas, Spike Lee, and Sergio Leone. John Woo once named "Lawrence of Arabia" among his top three films. More recently, Joe Wright ("Pride & Prejudice", "Atonement") has cited Lean's works, particularly "Doctor Zhivago", as an important influence on his work, as has director Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight Rises)". The critical verdict was not unanimous, however. For example, David Thomson, writing about Lean in his "New Biographical Dictionary of Film",