Enter the Void a film trip you must take
Enter
the Void a film trip you must take
By Ron Gilbert
Gasper Noe is a director who has a vision which I have never
seen, I did not need to take any drugs to watch this film but I got very high
watching it.For a moment there was a similarity to the films, Requiem for a Dream and You Can Count on Me but this film
enters a whole new realm. Peter Fonda should rush out to see it because of his
participation in the Roger Corman film “The
Trip” with the late Dennis Hopper and buddies Bruce Dern and good old Jack
Nicholson. The actors would have impressed any methodacting class and the late
Timothy Leary would be applauding. All I can say is:"WOW”!!Gasper is a
true artist painting the screen with sounds and visuals that will impress any
famous painter from Van Gough to Picasso.to Jackson Pollock I cannot fully
express in words how this film affected me. . After I watched it I wanted to
hop on a plane and walk the streets of Tokyo
and visit the locations where this film was shot.
I called some friends who might have seen the film at the
Cannes Film Festival but I realized that they had seen a rough cut and not the
version that I was privileged to see.
Going back to 1991, Noe won the SACD Award at Cannes
for his short film Caren, followed
by the Mercedes-Benz Award at Cannes Festival in 1998 for his feature film “I Stand Alone” and then the Bronze Horse in 2002 at the Stockholm Film
Festival for Irreversible. His
newest film, Enter the Void has
screened at the major festivals like the Sundance Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival,
Cannes Film Festival and other major festivals around the world. After seeing
the film I had an opportunity to talk with Nathaniel Brown who plays Oscar in
the film
RG
So Gasper said that he was looking for unknown actors for his
film and he found you selling t-shirts in Brooklyn
Nathaniel
That’s right
RG
He also wanted an actor who would not be upset because most
of the film would be shot from your point of view and the audience would only
be seeing the back of your head most of the time
Nathaniel
Well you do get to see my face in a few scenes
RG
Yes that is true. . From the start of I seriously thought
the actors were on drugs just from their movements and sound quality of their
voices with that raspy growling sound,
Paz de Huerta who plays your sister is fairly well known and
you have a close resemblance to her and you seemed to have a close relationship
on the screen, but where did he find the other cast members?
Nathaniel
Gasper is very instinctive and likes casting unknowns but he
needed an actress who could do those melodramatic scenes. He loves women even
though you would not think so by the roles they play in his films .Cyril Roy
(Alex) lives in Tokyo and is very
cool and just happened to accompany a friend to the casting and really is a big
fan of Gasper and just wanted to meet him. Gasper makes it very easy to work
because he is like a child and gets very excited in making a movie as if it was
his first one
For myself I had to bring up experiences as a stoned out
party kid which is not like I really am at all. What he did with Paz was
brilliant
RG
I could feel that just watching the film. I really felt the
brother sister relationship with you and Paz.
Nathaniel
For Paz it was easier because she is a professional actor
and I am not
RG
You were right there with her in your scenes and no one
would doubt that as a beginner you had no bad habits so you were better off
Nathaniel
This was my first movie and a terrifying experience working
along someone like her but she was very kind and gentle
RG
Like a real sister would be
Nathaniel
Yes.
RG
I was very curious as to where those clubs in Tokyo
were and how he was able to get inside and shoot those very provocative scenes.
Was that difficult?
Nathaniel
These clubs really exist but some scenes like inside of the
Love Hotel were shot in a studio on this massive set and we also shot my
bathroom scene there.
RG
The coverage was amazing. How much time did it take to shoot
this film? It must have been intense with all that was involved.
Nathaniel
We shot over 4 months and filming was so intense that I am
just coming down from it because it was very emotional for me coming out of
that film. I would love to do another film like Inception or something that is
groundbreaking both visually and well written. This is very hard to find in Hollywood,
you know what I mean. How do you follow up after you’ve done a film like this?
RG
It isn’t easy.Now
the question is whether you will you continue on that path as an actor or go
into directing which you had intended to do in the first place?
Nathaniel
Well now that I have my foot inside of the acting I would
like to continue because you get this bug and find a different way to express
yourself and are getting paid for it
RG
Ok that is the good part.
RG
. Just see what happens when your film opens on September
24.I think that you will be getting offers
http://www.ifcfilms.com/films/enter-the-void
