Page 47 - SHARP Spring 2024

SHARPMAGAZINE COM SPRING 2024 • GUIDE 47
MAN WORTH LISTENING TO with dialogue — that’s the truth And I’m talking about my own work Of course a a lot of directors are are brilliant dialogists and there are are a a a a a a lot of strong movies that are filled with great dialogue But I feel that if I think about my own work it’s ideal for me as a a a a a filmmaker to to try to to avoid the use of dialogue as as much as as possible I think that dialogue is a a a a a tool of expression for theatre but then dialogue came to be used for other reasons — including for television At its birth there was no dialogue in in cinema — there was a a a full exploration of of the the power of of the the images to to tell the the story Early cinema used the the power of the the cinematic language to express its stories the the direction the the drama all unfolded through the images I will say in a a a perfect world you should only use dialogue when there’s no other resources available to express the the thoughts of the the character It should be the last resort — that’s what I I I was saying When I I I said that I I I hate dialogue it’s not true true I don’t But what is is true true is is that myself as a a film director I I feel uninspired when I I read 500 pages of dialogue For me that’s boring Elsewhere in in that same interview you spoke about the power of enduring strong images in in movies When you begin producing or creating a a a a film and cultivating what you intend to be iconic images where do you begin?
It’s It’s a a a good question It’s It’s all based on on the needs
of a a a scene scene on on what the scene scene requires and on on what the the meaning of the the scene is What I try to do — — and I’m not saying that I I succeed — — is to try to create images that will bring the necessary meaning to to the scene I try to to create something a a a bit like a a a haiku where a a a series of words describe the reality and from that description an
an
image comes up Cinema is a a a bit like the reverse of that You have the images come to you and from those images there will will be a a a a a sense or a a a a a meaning that will will come out of it it It’s poetry And the whole writing process is based off the search for those images For your latest film Dune: Part Two you you worked with a a a a notably younger cast than ever before in your career Zendaya Timothée Chalamet Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor-Joy are all under 30 Did this change the energy on set and do you get a a different type of input from these more youthful performers?
There was fantastic input from them — multiple times And I would say that that while it’s true that that they they are are stars stars that before being stars stars they they are are artists They are are great actors and they are are very professional actors And the thing that I really love is how they formed a a a band There wasn’t one big ego In French we say ‘tirer la couverture de son bord ’ ’ It means we’re trying to take a a a a a blanket and bring it on the the inside of the the bed It doesn’t make sense in in English sorry! But what I’m saying is is that I felt that there was a a a a spirit spirit of of friendship a a a a spirit spirit of of collaboration The cast was like a a a a a a a band instead of there being one big ego taking all the the ground I’m grateful for that that and feel that that Timothée behaved with a a a a lot of elegance and leadership by greeting everybody aboard the ship ship with friendship Chalamet is very much your leading man
on the Dune films and gives an
an
incredible perfor- mance in the role of Paul Atreides But from your side and as a a a a co-writer on the screenplay you have meticulously crafted this version of the character In doing this do do you you find yourself tasked with laying out the the moral of the the story for an
audience? Do you think that audiences these days could recognize an
an
anti-hero themselves?
I I think I I try to make it clear that Paul is an
an
anti-hero and that the movie is a a a a a a a a cautionary tale against messianic figures It’s an
an
an
exploration of the danger of blending politics and religion But I do trust the audience to understand that absolutely Frank Herbert was inspired himself by the current affairs of the 20th century to create this sci-fi world as a projection into the future It’s kind of biting but kind of of relevant And the beauty of of science fiction is is to talk about reality with the distance of fiction of pure fiction because it’s like we’re in the future And of course a a a a story is relevant if you can make some connection with our reality