‘I believe that the consumer society is the final stage of civilisation. This society can continue for another hundred years or so but I completely believe that this utilitarian, devouring way of life signals that civilisation is ending.’
These are the words of the great Jan Svankmajer during a 2003 interview with Jason Wood (the David Frost of world cinema?), which begins as an appraisal of his influences and working methods during the making of his 2000 film ‘Little Otik’, but rapidly evolves into a scathing critique of society at large. It’s an example of the trust that Wood is able to elicit from his subjects via his painstakingly detailed approach to questioning.
This book accumulates interviews Wood has conducted over the past ten years (for publications such asVertigo and the ‘Projections’ series) with many of the leading lights of contemporary world cinema. Whether it’s the gift of hindsight or just plain luck, Wood seems to catch these directors at the apex of their careers, with, for example, Laurent Cantet discussing ‘L’Emploi du Temps’, Claire Denis discussing ‘Beau Travail’ and Samira Makhmalbaf discussing ‘Blackboards’.
Wood is certainly canny in his approach to interviewing, confronting each director on their own terms and with broad knowledge of both their oeuvre and personal history. This aids him in revealing not just the minutiae of
cinematic craft, but the personalities of his subjects. You get the impression that a close personal bond developed between Wood and Atom Egoyan.
By the same token, you feel that Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan is somewhat, well, distant.
‘Talking Cinema’ is an indispensable volume that should be considered a set text for arts journalists (both
budding and professional) trying to master the methodology behind achieving the most revealing and
entertaining interviews possible.
