IR Interview: Jean-Pierre Jeunet For “Amelie” (22nd Anniversary) [Sony Pictures Classics] - Part II - video Dailymotion

The Inside Reel

Writer/Director Jean-Pierre Jeunet talks to The Inside Reel about casting, connection, intent and timelessness in regards to the 22nd Anniversary theatrical re-release of “Amelie” from Sony Pictures Classics.

Transcript

00:00 [MUSIC]

00:10 [MUSIC]

00:37 Did you have to do how much did you have to direct her versus like the visual?

00:40 Was there a certain thing you had to discuss with her about who she was?

00:45 No, every director will tell you the same thing.

00:47 The work of the director consists to make a good casting.

00:52 If you don't make any mistake, it's done.

00:54 Of course, you have to help sometimes to find some ideas.

00:59 And sometimes the actors say, no, I don't feel that.

01:02 And we have to listen because they are often right.

01:06 Even T.S. Pivet, the kid on the previous movie,

01:10 sometimes he would say, no, no, I don't think so.

01:12 He was right because they are under the skin of the character.

01:18 They know better than you sometimes.

01:20 [MUSIC]

01:49 Hey!

01:50 [MUSIC]

02:14 [MUSIC]

02:24 I mean, but the one thing that is always permeating through is the sense of

02:39 need for connection, the need for love, very long engagement.

02:42 We talked about that for obviously Amélie, you know, even Big Bug.

02:46 It's about them wanting to connect when everything's disconnected.

02:50 Can you talk about sort of the metaphor of love and connection,

02:54 especially in your movies, because they're always hopeful in certain ways.

02:58 I mean, you know, there are other things going on beneath, of course.

03:02 But can you talk about sort of those meanings for you?

03:05 I don't know if I can speak about that.

03:10 But one day a critic told me something, it was true.

03:14 For one time, the critic was right.

03:17 I'm kidding.

03:19 No, it's all right.

03:21 It's a subject.

03:22 That's all it is.

03:23 The subject of all your films, it's Tom Fummes.

03:28 You know the story Tom Fummes, the little kid lost in the forest.

03:31 And he put some stones to find the way back with his brother.

03:38 You know, it's a fairy tale.

03:40 Yeah.

03:40 This is the subject of all my films.

03:43 A kid fighting against a monster.

03:47 And for that, he uses imagination.

03:50 So somewhere, this is my story.

03:52 Amélie, it's not so obvious because the monster is introverted.

03:57 On Alien Resurrection, it's obvious there are real monsters.

04:00 The Butcher and Delicatessen.

04:02 When young girls go to make their portraits, they look at their ears and go "Ooooh"

04:08 by gently caressing their necks.

04:11 That's when they get caught.

04:12 Mr. Cacopois.

04:13 Who are you?

04:19 Page 51.

04:21 [Squeals]

04:23 [Squeals]

04:25 [Squeals]

04:27 [Squeals]

04:29 [Squeals]

04:31 [Music]

05:01 And you know, I worked three years on Life of Pi.

05:04 And it was a kid against the tiger.

05:08 So each time there's a kid against a monster.

05:10 Amélie is a kind of kid somewhere.

05:13 You didn't know I worked on Life of Pi?

05:15 No, no.

05:16 I was supposed to make this film and I wrote a beautiful adaptation.

05:22 It was very interesting.

05:23 20th Century Fox loved that.

05:26 The author of the novel loved that.

05:29 It was just a question of money because it was too early to imagine the tiger in CGI.

05:34 So we had to work with a real tiger, a real kid and the real sea.

05:39 So it was very difficult.

05:40 So I told 20th Century Fox to wait for three years and we will be able to make the tiger in CGI.

05:47 And in fact, they hired Ang Lee.

05:49 And the cost of the budget was double.

05:54 [Music]

05:56 [French]

05:59 Merci.

06:01 [Music]

06:03 [Music]

06:05 [Music]

06:07 (light jazz music)

06:10 (light jazz music)

06:13 (dog whining)

06:22 (speaking in French)

06:39 (speaking in French)

06:42 - Do you like, I mean, the thing is obviously

06:58 the practical effect, you're just using practical.

07:01 I mean, the montage sequences in "Amoly"

07:03 are so beautiful because of the way they jump,

07:06 and that has to do with editing and practical use.

07:09 But, you know, considering like the advent

07:11 of all the technology, does that affect

07:14 how you use practical use of camera

07:16 versus actual digital use?

07:19 Because sometimes that can be a shortcut.

07:21 - You know Michel Gondry, the French director?

07:25 He loves to do everything on stage.

07:28 But I think it's probably, it's very funny to make for him.

07:33 But for "Zero Durance," "Zero Durance" doesn't care

07:35 if you use CGI or practical VFX, they don't care.

07:40 So it's just tools.

07:43 And the most important thing is the mind behind the tools.

07:46 And I love to play with everything.

07:48 Even with Marc Caro, we started to, for "Delicatessen,"

07:51 we were the first to play with video visual effects,

07:56 video, not digital at this time.

07:58 We made the mixing of "The City of Lord Shadwen" in digital.

08:01 We were the first.

08:03 And I shot "T.S.P. Vette" in a real 3D.

08:05 So I love when it's very complicated.

08:08 I love that.

08:09 (laughs)

08:11 (speaking in foreign language)

08:17 (speaking in foreign language)

08:21 (gentle music)

08:24 (speaking in foreign language)

08:29 (gentle music)

08:31 (speaking in foreign language)

08:51 (speaking in foreign language)

08:55 ♪ After I've taken the blame ♪

08:59 ♪ You say you're through ♪

09:01 ♪ You've got your way ♪

09:03 ♪ But I'll always feel just the same ♪

09:07 ♪ Maybe I'm wrong ♪

09:09 ♪ Maybe I'm wrong ♪

09:11 ♪ Loving you dear like I'm ♪

09:13 (static crackling)

09:16 - And my last question, I'll let you go.

09:17 Thank you very much.

09:18 It's so wonderful to talk to you,

09:19 especially since you were one of my first interviews

09:21 back in the day, so thank you.

09:23 Is the aspect of watching a body of work, of a legacy,

09:29 but looking at something like "Ombly,"

09:31 having young people rediscover it or discover it,

09:35 what do you sort of, 'cause it's,

09:37 do you think it's because it's timeless,

09:39 they can understand and they can do it,

09:41 especially whenever he wants quick cuts.

09:43 It's really nice that it's almost like a dance.

09:45 It's like a flow,

09:47 which you don't see much in current cinema.

09:50 - I don't know.

09:53 I just know some kids, very young, love the film.

09:56 Some old people love the film.

09:58 So probably because it speaks about generosity.

10:02 Amelie does that and she doesn't ask for anything in return.

10:06 She, of course, she wins love,

10:09 but she doesn't want at the beginning to do that.

10:12 So it speaks about something strong, I think.

10:16 And also because we speak also about the small details

10:21 of the life, I love to take some notes.

10:23 I made a short film, "Things I Love, Things I Hate,"

10:25 on this concept.

10:28 For example, when she put the hand on the grain,

10:30 you know what I mean?

10:31 And everybody knows that it's pretty funny.

10:34 And also because a very beautiful city, a fake Paris,

10:38 and some very funny anecdotes,

10:41 like the garden gnome traveling.

10:44 So it's full of different ideas.

10:47 A lot, in fact, a lot.

10:48 I should make five movies instead one.

10:51 - This is Amelie.

10:52 With the discovery of a simple childhood treasure,

10:58 she begins a quest to fix other people's lives.

11:02 And perhaps her own as well.

11:07 (explosion booms)

11:13 (dramatic music)

11:16 (gunshots)

11:19 (dramatic music)

11:22 [BLANK_AUDIO]

IR Interview: Jean-Pierre Jeunet For “Amelie” (22nd Anniversary) [Sony Pictures Classics] - Part II

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