SHOCK stings filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn with six questions.
Danish troublemaker and revered filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn’s THE NEON DEMON opens everywhere this Friday (read our review here).
The film tells the tale of Elle Fanning’s doe-eyed Jesse, who comes to LA to find fame as a model and is almost immediately sucked into a toxic and soul-swallowing nightmare of broken ego, perversity and evil artifice.
Typically for the director, the film is a sensory tour-de-force, with lush visuals battered by pulverizing sound and pulsing music by composer Cliff Martinez.
SHOCK stalked Refn and got him to answer 6 questions about what we believe to be the finest film of his career to date.
Do remember the first time you saw LA in the flesh?
Yes. It was quite frightening and overwhelming. But I was quite lucky because my real introduction to LA was through (his 2012 film) DRIVE, so that was a wonderful opportunity to really enter that world.
THE NEON DEMON feels like an expensive Jess Franco film. Was his work an influence?
Not that I know of. I have actually never seen a lot of his movies. I certainly love the soundtracks, but I have never been exposed to a lot of Francos work to be honest. I saw that you referenced Franco in your review and I was like, woah, what? Thats cool.
In the script, the gore in a key sequence is far more explicit. Why did you reel it back?
I didnt reel it back, really. I just found this version that I shot more interesting. For me, the script is always just a guiding point and in this version that scene was different.
Did you shoot the scene as written and then cut it?
No.We shot in chronological order and it just felt right to me to shoot it as it was, not as it was written.
You call yourself a fetish filmmaker. Explain this.
To me, a fetish filmmaker means only making films and shooting what it is you want to see. Like Jess Franco did, right? Thats what he was about.
Im surprised mainstream critics are embracing the film. Are you? Does critical response even matter to you at this point?
I always love when people react to what I do. Its always nice when people say great things or nice things because it always means something to me, believe me. Its always welcome and appreciated.
THE NEON DEMON opens theatrically and on VOD this Friday, June 24th.
