»
THE NEW YORK TIMES l Nicolas Rappold l January 2012 Fred Kelemen: We were shooting mainly with the Arri 535. N. R.: What was your favorite shot setup in the film, and why? F.K.: All shots are my favorites. I care for every shot, for every second of every shot. Would you ask a painter which centimetre of his painting is his favorite one? N. R.: Comparison: What are the differences between your style with Béla Tarr, and the style of his films before "The Man From London"? F. K.: I never compared the photographic style of Béla's films before "The Man from London" with the work I did. I just can say that the way of my lighting, as Béla and me liked it, is quite expressive, expressionist, the contrasts are mainly hard but with grades of grey from black to white. Many parts of the images are shadowed, are set at the border of visibility before disappearing into the darkness. The framing is austere, graphic precise and this austerity of the framing of every moment of the moving or still image is integrated into the flow of movements trying to make the camera-gaze gliding over the objects, bodies and faces like a visual caress. With the camera-eye I try to touch the world. N. R.: During production, do you work with both Béla Tarr and Agnes Hranitzky? I see that she is the editor but she is also credited as co-director. F. K.: Ágnes and Béla are both at the set, with both I am watching the rushes (the dailies), they decide everything together. So for sure, I talk with both of them. All three we are partners. N. R.: What do you think about Béla Tarr retiring from filmmaking? What reasons did he give to you? F. K.: About Béla's reasons to retire from filmmaking I will not talk. This is a matter of privacy. But I think, Béla's decision having made his last film with "The Turin Horse" is a beautiful finish for a happy-end-story. Rarely someone reaches the level of closing a circle, of having said and done all he had to say and to do in a special area before reaching the end of life. Facing death most of the people have the feeling that there was so much more to do, that they did not have the time to finish, that dead is interrupting the path of life, that death is dragging them away. I am happy for Béla that he finished in between the gates of life and death, that it his him who closes the door as an act of freedom and not being forced by someone or something. Can there be a higher level of freedom and dignity to reach than this state of independence? Now Béla can go on living doing a lot of beautiful things without shooting films.
.............................................................................................................................................................. |