Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke remade his own 1997 movie Funny Games in 2007 (hitting theaters on March 14, 2008), with Naomi Watts and Tim Roth taking on the roles of a wealthy married couple terrorized by two psychopaths in this American version of Haneke’s '97 film. Haneke remained true to his original film, copying that movie almost shot for shot. The film’s central theme – violence and the media – also makes the leap from his first film to this one, which is targeted at American audiences.
At a press conference in Los Angeles to promote the movie, Naomi Watts was forthcoming about life on the set and Haneke’s desire to make American audiences think about why we love graphic violence in films.
Naomi Watts Press Conference
Michael Haneke said he wouldn't remake this film without your involvement. What's your reaction to that and would you have done this film without Michael Haneke?
Naomi Watts: “Definitely not - that's the answer to the second, which I'll elaborate on. It was put to me that he only wanted me and while that felt like a huge amount of pressure, it was also very flattering and sort of slightly seductive in a way because he's someone whose work I admire greatly. He's worked with fantastic actresses before – Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert. I'm major fans of theirs as well. It made me think that an artist that I admire respects my work and he's that passionate about it, and so it made me want to do it. It's probably just a bold faced tactic of his [laughs] but it wasn't an easy decision to make. I wouldn't make this film with just anyone. It's by no means a no-brainer.”
Had you seen the original film?
Naomi Watts: “Yes, I had seen the original - but only after we did this. The way that this came about was originally a phone call from this woman called Johanna Ray, who's a casting director that was instrumental in casting me in Mulholland Drive. They'd come to her saying that they wanted her to get a hold of me and for her to cast the rest of the film. She called me and the minute that she said Michael Haneke, I was very excited. I feel blessed to have worked with some of these great directors. The minute that his name was mentioned, I got excited. And then I saw the movie and I was both excited and angered and I felt so messed with.”
Were you repulsed?
Naomi Watts: “I was repulsed and terrified. Apart from my obvious reactions about the movie itself, to do this film was terrifying and that always interests me, being afraid of something.”
Why is that?
Naomi Watts: “Because it's nice to think that you can combat your fears, I think.”
Did the challenges as an actress help you overcome your problems with the material?
Naomi Watts: “Well, I mean, there were a different set of challenges. Working in the style that Michael likes to work in is going to be challenging, and I think that's for any actor. The fact that this was a remake…it's always hard doing a remake because you fear you're going to be compared to the original actors. But the fact that he was designing each shot in the exact same way as the original meant that you had to do the same blocking and tread the same steps as those actors. And then you suddenly feel like, 'Oh, wow. How can I reinvent this character? How can I find the scene in my own organic way? It's so mapped out. I go to the sink. Then I go to the fridge. Then I go back to the sink and then I go back to him.' It became like such a heady thing and that's so not the way that I like to work. I like to intuit it and feel it and surprise myself. So it was a great challenge to do.”
You’ve said you don't find a lot of scripts that speak to you. What about this story and this character really spoke to you?
Naomi Watts: “It screamed at me [laughs], it didn't speak to me. Like I said, it wasn't an easy decision to make and I feared that it's such a beast of a film and it's so powerful in its effect, that you fear it's not going to land well with everyone. Some people are just going to be repulsed and not enjoy the ride because it is so disturbing. I don't think that it's supposed to be enjoyed, that ride. It's supposed to be work for you. You're supposed to participate and be a part of the film and walk away feeling richer for the experience, for knowing and understanding your place as an audience member better. So therefore the next violent film that you see, you'll perhaps be more conscious and mindful of those moments where ordinarily we'd sit there and go, 'Yeah!' and brains are splattering everywhere. It definitely makes you more conscious. To me, that's a success because it's provocative. It's discussion and thought worthy.”
What are your feelings about the traditional horror? Do you enjoy the blood spattering?
Naomi Watts: “I've never been a fan of gore. Even though I've done quite a few thrillers and films of this genre, there's never really been much blood and guts in the films that I've done. It's been more psychological. I'm not here to say that just because I've tapped into his mindset and what he's trying to say, I'm not trying to say now shame on you for all those other films that are being made. I'm not on a soapbox here. I understand that every film has its value in its own different way. What works for some people doesn't work for others. I'm an actor. I enjoy playing fear and if I'm in another thriller that's of that type – but again I'm not ever really interested in the gory, gory stuff.”
Page 2: Naomi Watts on the Reason for the Remake
