“Films are dreams.”

PostED ON OCTOBER 17 2022

On Sunday, American filmmaker James Gray outlined his vision of the cinema with humour and precision.

ON HIS LOVE FOR THE CINEMA

I want to become an expert in at least one thing before I die. That's why I watch at least one film a day, usually before I go to sleep. My wife and kids think I'm crazy. They try to convince me to watch series on platforms, but it's all crap. What matters is the cinema!

ON HIS SENSUAL AND FLUID FILMING STYLE

It comes from a weird mix between my love for a certain period of European cinema and my love for the way a story is told in the US. In Europe, there is more depth. That said, the American filmmakers who fascinate me go into the depth of things. I'm a weird cinema nut! From my point of view, films are dreams, and they are not necessarily always enjoyable. But I also like bad dreams. Cinema is not completely verbal for me. This sensuality you mention is my attempt to convey emotions.

© Olivier Chassignole

ON HOW HE BUILDS HIS MOVIES WITH A LITERAL SENSE

I don't understand how you can make a beautiful work of art by being ironic, and when it's a movie, by adding a humorous dimension to the story. For me, the important thing is to allow the audience to enter the mind of my characters. You can't distance yourself if you really want to show their emotions. All I try to communicate through my films is an inner feeling.


ON HIS CHARACTERS, WHO CONFIDE IN HIM

Maybe it comes from the fact that I hate Broadway musicals! I hated ‘Evita’, for example. Everyone was talking loudly while singing! It was torture for me. I prefer films that go into the most intimate part of life. My mother said that at least in the theatre you can actually see the actors. I want to see the grain of the film on the actors' faces. What cinema has brought, unlike theatre, is the power of the whisper. What's really great about movies is that you can say "I love you" without really meaning it.

© Olivier Chassignole

ON HIS PROTAGONISTS, WHO RESIST HIERARCHY AND THE INSTITUTION

I think it comes from what I experienced as a child. When you have to fight to succeed. My parents always told me that I wouldn't make it in the film industry, and I had to fight to make it. I was always aware that in my neighbourhood there were still inequalities. My parents were always trying to move forward, but they had a permanent sadness in their eyes. I always had this desire to overcome things the working class carries with it. And then I had an encounter with a teacher in high school who taught me Latin. He opened my eyes to literature… It's very difficult to talk about yourself! It's a bit like giving you a tour of my dining room!


ON DEATH, WHICH PERMEATES MOST OF HIS MOVIES

We're all going to die! But that's not a bad thing. Like death, sadness or disappointment are things that exist. But I understand that big commercial companies don't like to talk about it because it doesn't encourage people to spend money. If you had to live forever, thanks to a magic pill that would make you immortal, it would be so boring! I try to deal with immortality through my work. I don't know why, but I have always been obsessed with the idea of loss, of mourning. I like to capture fleeting moments. I don't know why.

Interview by Benoit PAVAN