Masterclass William Dafoe (11/22/2008)

MASTERCLASS WILLEM DAFOE

On Saturday the 22nd of November in the John Cassavetes Theatre, the Thessaloniki Festival Director, Despina Mouzaki, awarded Willem Dafoe with an honorary plaque for his contribution to the film world.
The renowned American actor thanked the Festival for this honour and then proceeded with his Masterclass on acting, in the presence of Mrs Mouzaki, Festival President Georges Corraface, the International Jury and a huge audience.
Dafoe discussed his numerous collaborations with significant directors from all over the world, the manner in which he approaches his roles, as well as his recent work in the film Dust of Time by Theo Angelopoulos. Corraface presented Dafoe as an artist who has offered much, not only to his audiences, but also to the directors of his films.
"He is a multitalented man, but the biggest one of his talents is the honesty with which he tackles everything he does", stressed Corraface. Willem Dafoe commenced by talking about the early beginnings of his career with the theatre group Theater X, which he co-founded, as well as his small part in the film
Heaven's Gate: "Theater taught me how to delve deep into the characters I play. My role in Heaven's Gate was my first experience in a studio film, but I had already collaborated in quite a few short films by independent directors". After the screening of an excerpt from Platoon, Dafoe discussed the method of preparation.
"Sometimes there is a lot of research and preparation required in order to find your way into a character and other times it is a simpler procedure. Costumes or props such as the fake teeth I had on during Wild at Heart help you find your way into the heart of a character. Sometimes an actor has certain techniques, aces up his sleeve; for example, a certain language or accent is a starting point one can begin from". For his role in The Last Temptation, Dafoe read philosophical essays about love and forgiveness and stressed that Scorsese, with whom he had an extraordinary collaboration, provided him with a sound foundation for his approach to the role.

"Scorsese had already shot the film in his head and knew exactly what needed to be done. It was a film of modest budget and each take could be shot only 3 times; as a result, the energy would not be lost, something which I think is evident in the final result".
According to Dafoe, necessary qualities for a film director is "passion for what he does, providing a good background and explaining what the want from you; allowing you to become a substantial part of the film and then letting you drive the story along".

What about when a film is unsuccessful? "Failure helps. You can't let your path be determined only by your successes. Failure shakes you, puts you back on your path. I always want to have good results; but failure or success cannot be foreseen", noted the actor. Regarding the oftentimes contrary relationship between director and actor, Dafoe explained that he gives himself to his directors and becomes the vessel of their desires, even when his own instincts might dictate that something is not right.

Given the choice, he prefers to work with a group of people he admires and will take the risk to work with new filmmakers, as long as they have passion for their work. Concerning his recent collaboration with Angelopoulos in Dust of Time, he said that, "I wanted to be Theo's creation. He is so well known for his wonderful shots and is very precise in what he does. You need to become a tiny part of his world, you have to enter it. He trusted me from the beginning, so I was able to relax and let myself go".
In a question about his 2 Academy Award nominations, he replied that he doesn't belong in this predictable game of celebrity, publicity and huge campaigns, although "those nominations were unexpected and they were a gift". Dafoe has recently completed a film with Lars von Trier and is about to embark on a film collaboration with his wife, as well as a project with Wim Wenders.

Christine Marik