Why is this alien femme fatale with a cut-glass British accent hunting males in the middle of Scotland?
Youll have to watch director Jonathan Glazers film to find out.
Theres a description in the book of how she views the world and the people in it.
I remember being very taken by that.
Theres a connection to the book, but were just running with that character.
It struck me that its very unusual for films to be so unpredictable, which this is.
Sometimes I enjoy watching films that do that for me, you know?
Then I know how its all going to play out, and Im watching it.
I enjoy the parlour game of it, or something.
You used hidden cameras a lot in this film, so what was the process of that like?
Presumably, youre filming these people, but then youre having to get their consent afterwards.
There are lots of moments you see in the film that are filmed with hidden cameras.
Theyre all people who just happened to be there.
Youre not dealing with extras or background action its all live.
Some said yes and some said no.
So it was quite wild like that.
Did anybody recognise Scarlett Johansson?
Yeah, there were a few times people recognised her.
But surprisingly few, actually.
I think it might have been more the case if she hadnt been in the disguise.
Because shes not very familiar to people, really, the way she looks.
It reminds me a bit of JG Ballard, the way you juxtapose the extraordinary with the mundane.
You see Scarlett Johansson walking past Greggs the bakers or Specsavers or something like that.
Theres something really terrific about that, though.
Her as a Trojan horse.
And that sense of anonymity as well.
The idea that you might move around like a ghost in these places.
And perhaps even the notion that the cities themselves are ghostly, because theyre kind of all the same.
The shops are the same everywhere, in the UK at least.
Thats true now, certainly.
And yes, its a sort of ubiquitous backdrop, isnt it?
But even so, you have to get clearance from those companies.
But we didnt want to fake anything.
So were there any sticking points?
Was there any footage you couldnt use?
There were conversations she had where the person didnt want to give their consent.
And its a real wrench, because you know how well it encapsulates something that you could never contrive.
Another thing that the film could express.
Was that one of your aims, perhaps?
Um… [pauses for thought] I suppose it must have been.
The fact that youve singled it out makes me wonder if it was one of my aims.
I cant categorically say it absolutely was or absolutely wasnt.
You see lots of different reactions, and theyre truthful because theyre all real.
Theres no one way a man responds in that situation.
The important thing is that they didnt feel different to the men you saw on the street.
They had the same texture, the same tone.
There was a lot of effort involved in achieving that.
How did you come up with the really nightmarish moments in the film?
Where did the inspiration come from?
These spaces had to feel unfamiliar and alarming and alien.
How an object is reflected in that space, what you see beneath that space.
We wanted to create something that seems as lost and bewildered as the victim.
The experience needs to be inscrutable, unfathomable.
Something you dont recognise, that you feel but you dont see.
We didnt want to make a film where thats explained away somehow.
It had to be outside our understanding.
I feel it ties in with everything else youve done, in the sense that its fleshy and existential.
Its about the forces bodies go under.
Like your advert,Surfers, where you see the strength it takes to surf.
Or inSexy Beast,the physical gulf between Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley.
I see things in a certain way, and that comes through.
There are certain themes and similarities, so Im sure there must be connections.
Did your transition from commercials to features feel difficult?
Making the first film,Sexy Beast,I was eager to get going.
I was blessed with the opportunity to make that script, actually.
It was such a brilliant piece of writing.
My approach was, I think I understood it, I could see it theyre very visual writers.
I thought it was the perfect place really, the beauty and flow of the words.
The control and the anarchy as well.
And how strong and rich their visual ideas were.
It felt like a continuation.
I dont feel as though Ive graduated from commercials or music videos.
In my mind, they arent compartmentalised.
I dont put on my best clothes to make a film, my Sunday best.
Not that I have any best clothes.
But you know what I mean?
Then you have the amazing performance from Ben Kingsley.
Did he take much coaxing to bring that performance?
Youre asking questions about a long time ago now.
I cant recall the history of that.
We met and he surprised me, I remember.
He was completely the right actor for that role.
When I met him, it was his within seconds.
We got on really well.
When youve got a script that good, you have to calibrate, try not to fuck it up.
Dont get fussy, understand where the strength of the scene lies, and photograph that.
Sometimes you have to do very little.
It was a long process making this film.
How does it feel to have it finished, to know its completed?
Im pleased its done, really pleased.
I loved every second of it, really.
But its peculiar that were sitting here chatting about it that is odd.
It was difficult, very rigorous.
We wanted to make something that was outside everything else.
The alien eye had to exist outside the pack.
It had to feel alien, which was difficult to attempt to achieve.
But Im pleased to be having new ideas now.
Are you pleased with the critical response so far?
Well, its been really encouraging to read the favourable reviews, theyre really encouraging.
But for balance, there are people whove… who hate it, and thats fine.
Thats the way it is with a film like this.
I think its fascinating to see how strong the reactions are.
I think thats the sign of an interesting, complex film if people react powerfully to it.
Yeah, its doing something.
Somethings happening, and thats really good to feel that I played a part in that.
That theres debate, rather than it coming out and people thinking, Well, it was alright.
It makes you feel uncomfortable, and I think thats good.
Because you have to or you should analyse why it made you feel that way.
Why is this scene making me feel uncomfortable?, you know?
Thats what it does so effectively.
Did you feel that way when you were watching it?
Did it make you feel a bit lost, like you didnt know what was happening next?
What was that feeling like?
Because I dont know.
I know whats coming next.
As I said before, its unusual to feel like that.
Its a horror film, in some ways.
I think some people enjoy that and others dont.
They dont want that, they want it all explained.
I think its scary for some people, ambiguity.
And I think its rare for a filmmaker to even be allowed to be ambiguous.
Did you have anybody to convince, or were you given free reign?
Oh god, yeah.
Youre trying to convince people all the time.
If youre in a healthy, creative environment, you are challenging and you are being challenged.
Thats how it works, otherwise its stale, you know?
Its got to be like that.
I think, when were writing or when were cutting, you want to get a reaction.
You want, God that frightened me.
Or, Jesus, I loved that bit.
You need those responses along the way to just chart what youre doing.
Because youre so immersed in it.
The whole process is very intuitive, I suppose.
You build it up.
Its abstract, in a way.
This one was absolutely.
It was all about form.
Have you had a chance to see it with Scarlett Johansson yet?
I have, yes.
We saw it in Venice.
She was well into it, well, I think she was.
She was quite proud of what weve done.
And she should be, certainly in terms of what shes done.
Jonathan Glazer, thank you very much.
Under The Skinis out in UK cinemas now.
you could read our reviewhere.
