"Luc Besson has been building his kingdom for years"
One of the most sought-after actors of his generation, Caleb Landry Jones skillfully transforms his filmography into a pantheon. "Breaking Bad," "Twin Peaks," "Three Billboards," "The Dead Don't Die," "The Florida Hotel" — he chooses roles precisely, and this has already earned him a prize at Cannes. Now he has the strongest tandem with Luc Besson: first they released the scandalous "Dogman", now "Dracula" is coming out (starting next week at the Russian box office), a new picture is already in the works. Caleb Landry Jones told Izvestia about the reasons for this cooperation and the connection with Russia.
"Gary Oldman is so wonderful as Dracula!"
— When I was preparing for our conversation, I looked again at which actors played Dracula. Bela Lugosi, Orson Welles, Daniel Day-Lewis, Klaus Kinski, Gary Oldman, Willem Dafoe... What was your first reaction when you were offered to play Dracula?
"Luke just hinted at it in passing. You know, not "this is the next movie I'm going to make" or "let's do this," but just as something that might be interesting. Well, such an interesting character. And that Luke sees me in this role. Of course, what you just said flashed through my mind. All these artists, the images they created, and all the people who played this character before, and how many options there were.
A shot from the movie "Dracula"
Anyway, that's all I thought about, and it didn't go any further than that. I was skeptical of the idea itself, because Gary Oldman is so wonderful as Dracula, what could we do here? But then we finished working on "Dogman," and a few months later I got the script for "Dracula." I started reading and only then realized exactly how Luke wanted to make this movie.
— For some reason, it seemed to me while watching that the film was very personal for Luc Besson. In a way, it's a movie about him. I have a feeling that he also feels like an old aristocrat who knows the secret of eternal life and immortal art.
— Well, I don't think he knows the secret of eternal life. He's not that old.
— His career began in the early 80s, so he's kind of a patriarch.
— Yes, I started early and haven't slowed down since.
film director and screenwriter Luc Besson
— Well, do you think this is a bit of a story about him?
— I don't know, Sergey, you should ask him about it. I'm not the kind of person who can answer how personal the movie is for him.
— But you discussed this character...
— We discussed Love, Loss and other feelings and thoughts of the hero of the film. How the hero perceives what is happening, how he looks. We talked about the movie itself. And they talked about our lives, too. But not in the context of "this movie is about me." I think we all know what it's like to lose someone close and generally lose something important. And we all want love. That's why we discussed these topics, moving on to very personal things. And thinking about what we've all been looking for all our lives.
— That's also why I insist on this analogy. I think Luc Besson has become an outcast in the film industry. I remember watching "Dogman" in Venice just a few years ago, and then I couldn't understand why the critics were so furious about the film. It seemed unnatural. It's a good movie, and your work there is just great.
— Critics are generally difficult to understand. It is very difficult for me to follow their opinion. That is, I have a lot of respect for critics, but for the past. Just because as a teenager I was always buying their books, collecting them, collecting reviews. I really liked that they found the words, found the images, and what precise images when it was necessary to seriously analyze the film. And they did it impartially, independently and remained themselves at the same time, their analysis was very personal. Not everyone, of course, but I knew them, they were.
How hard it is to see what criticism has become lately! I don't understand who's bought and who's not, and I don't understand how it all works anymore. But when I do read something that is written honestly, personally, freely and professionally, it makes me very happy. Even if they didn't like the movie, I understand that this is their personal position. But I remember reading the reviews and seeing that it was just an attack on Luke, not the movie. Personally for him. And I'm proud of that movie.
— Yes, it's a strange thing. So many cult films were made by a man who reformed entire genres. He is one of the most beloved directors in Russia, and we are always glad to see him.
— Yes, he shot the movie "Anna" in Russia.
— What do you think your tandem with him is based on? You're already planning your third movie.
— Luke is a strong artist, a strong cinematographer. A director who knows his profession like no one else I've worked with. If there is a problem, he solves it himself. He has so much energy that he doesn't stop plowing until everything is done and the movie is released. That's exactly what's required of a director. Someone who keeps an eye on the movie and who acts completely freely at the same time. It means a lot to me, and I love being a part of it. It means taking risks, seeking, being brave, confident. And do the best for the result. I saw it in Luke when we were making Dogman, and I saw it again in Dracula. I watched and studied — I learned how to make a movie. How Luke works as a director, screenwriter, and cinematographer at once.
"In the USA, everything is decided by trade unions"
— Is there any difference between French and American directors? Is there some fundamental common difference?
— Yes, but I'm not sure if it depends on the country. Luke has been building his "kingdom" for years, he has surrounded himself with people he has known for a long time. Or who are protégés of those he has known for a long time. But most of them have been working with him since they were very young, since they graduated from film school, for as long as they can remember. They believe him, they fight to make sure everything is done perfectly.
In the United States, everything is decided by trade unions, and this largely determines the methods of working on films. But it doesn't really matter which nation the director is from. An American, an Englishman, an Austrian, a Russian — it is important how the industry works and whether the author gets the opportunity to make his own films, whether they help him. Or are they always trying to control him? Luke makes movies the way he wants them to. When you sign up to work with him, you know that neither the producer nor the studio will decide anything. It's up to Luke to decide. Today, so few people manage to work, studios do not welcome this. It's a tough business.
Is that why you're not doing superhero movies anymore?
"Not really. If Luke is going to shoot in this genre or someone I've worked with before, it won't be a problem for me, I'd love to. Because I will know that they will have the last word. It's the same with TV series. If the director will definitely do every episode, then okay, but there are plenty of producers and other bosses who are doing everything to prevent this. That's why I only starred in one superhero movie. At the same time, his director Matthew Vaughn is an excellent writer, because he invited me to X—Men.
— Tell me, when you watched "Anora", didn't you think that you might have been there too? You've worked with Sean Baker, haven't you?
— When I watched "Anora", I was just blown away. It's an amazing movie. I was especially shocked by the Armenian actor who played the priest. I can't remember his name, but he's awesome. I even wondered why he wasn't nominated for a supporting role. I really, really like this painting. And she has a great ending.
— Have you discussed new projects with Baker?
— Listen, I really like what he's doing. I really love his movies. And I can only hope that one day we will be together again.…
— Well, here are a few words about the movie "Two Wolves" by Alex Gibney. I saw that work was going on and that you were busy there.
— Uh... I haven't heard anything about this project, I don't know.
— IMDb claims that you are filming there!
— You know, I met Javier Bardem at my first film. And I asked him about IMDb. I only found out about this site then, I went there for the first time. I was about 16 years old. And I said to him, "Wow, how many films you have in the works!" And he was like, "Don't trust IMDb, man." Me: "Why"? And he said to me, "It says all the time that I'm doing something that I'm not doing." Since then, every time I think about this site, I remember that conversation we had. That was 18 years ago. Maybe the site has improved since then, I do not know. As for Alex Gibney, I really love his films. I hope this one will work out one day.
— Are you thinking of coming to Moscow and showing "Dracula" here? Have you been to Moscow at all?
— Yes, I should, I should. Maybe things will get a little better in the world, and then it will be a little easier to do. My wife is Russian, we will come. It's just that it's difficult right now: you have to fill out a lot of paperwork and get visas. In general, there is a lot to do first. But we'll come sometime.
— Do you have a Russian wife? Where did you meet?
"In New York."
— What does she do?
"She's an artist.
— Maybe she taught you some Russian words?
—No, not really. «Nu shto, pokurim?» But my mother-in-law taught me that. I haven't learned anything else yet.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
