AllMovie

Although the Actors Studio and Lee Strasberg have been famous for many decades in the U.S., this documentary is the first film to go into the studio and record sessions with actors, showing Strasberg in action. Aside from interviews with Strasberg, he is also seen responding to filmed performances of Eleonora Duse and other Hollywood giants of times gone by, and interacting with others as a mentor and friend. Even Strasberg's inspiration, Konstantin Stanislavsky himself, is shown talking about acting with two students toward the end of his life. Jane Fonda explains how she benefitted by Strasberg's instruction, and the results of his efforts are shown in clips of James Dean and Marlon Brando, two of his more famous students. By the time the final segment of the documentary has closed, viewers have a much better idea of why Lee Strasberg was so successful with hundreds of actors over the long span of his professional life.