WithMennow playing in theaters, I recently got to speak with writer-directorAlex Garlandabout making his latest film.
ALEX GARLAND: Oh my God, I don’t know.
I’ve never handed anyone a book I’ve written or said, Watch my film.
I think they’ll look at me differently.
Do you actually have a lot of unproduced screenplays in your desk?
I think I wrote the first draft betweenSunshineandNever Let Me Go, which is quite a long time ago.
Image via A24
I don’t know how many years ago it was, [but] a long time ago.
So in some respects, I do have a lot of unmade screenplays in the drawer as it were.
But I quite often rework them, and they change over time.
Image via A24
Ex Machina, I remember had a very, very different first incarnation.
This film had a very different incarnation.Dreadhad many incarnations.
So [the] short answer is yes, and what proceeded was the long answer.
Image via A24
GARLAND: Right now, nothing.
I’m thinking I’m going to stop directing for a while.
I just need to stop for a bit.
Image via A24
To be honest, I kind of like the idea of writing for someone else to direct.
There’s a couple of directors out there who’ve approached me saying, are you interested in that?
Right now that’s what I’m thinking about doing.
Image via A24
And how has the relationship blossomed on all the projects?
GARLAND: Rob and I, I really think we work very well together.
But we work really well with each other.
I trust him a lot.
I like him a lot.
He’s got a really, really good eye and a very good attitude on set.
These shoots are always hard for one reason or another, and he never complains.
He always does beautiful work.
He’s a lovely man.
That in a way isn’t the answer to your question, what did I first see?
I just saw the frames and I thought that looks beautiful, that looks smart.
He doesn’t overdo it.
He’s got quite a lot of restraint.
He’s often kind of understated, and I love that.
Can you sort of talk about the color scheme that you wanted to go for in the film?
GARLAND: It’s a really simple, really simple color scheme, which was red and green.
We used red in very selective places, and then we timed our shoot.
Then what we did was not be coy about it.
GARLAND: I had no pressure at all.
It was never really my taste.
That means not answering all questions in some respects, not spoonfeeding everything.
So there was definitely a point where I was always disappointing people.
Like, why can’t you just do that?
But now I think they’re like, yeah, no, I get it.
And listen, it’s quite a challenging film, so I’m grateful for that.
I watched the Q&A yesterday, and I couldn’t believe thatAttack on Titaninfluenced this film.
It impressed me on so many levels.
It did something really brilliant, which is it verges right on the edge of ridiculous.
It sort of leans into the ridiculous and yet makes them terrifying and strange and intimidating.
It’s more imaginative than anything I’m thinking of and it’s also simpler.
What they’re doing is very, very simple, it’s sort of perfectly judged.
I think whatAttack on Titandid was it made me raise my game.
So I guess that’s the answer I just thinkAttack on Titan’s really good.
Anytime you see something good, it makes you raise your game.
That’s what I think you think, Oh, okay.
Better not be lazy.
Look at this stuff.
Thank you so much for your time, sir.
Until the next one, again, thank you for making movies.
GARLAND: Thanks, man.
Good to see you again.
