Excerpts from an interview for Creative Review
on the subjects of filming commercials, the visual narrative
and 'loud' poetry.
(this
interview was given during the filming of a commercial for Carling
Premier, in which Wim Wenders collaborated with Robbie Mueller)
Your filmic method and
approach have undoubtedly changed as the budgets have become
higher - with perhaps a greater emphasis on visuals over narrative.
Is a commercial the ultimate in stylistic presentation?
Method and approach have certainly changed over the years,
but because of curiosity, for learning not for budget reasons.
I have always made very low-budget and even no-budget films
in between bigger productions. It's deadly if you think that
once you've worked with a certain kind of budget you cannot
ever go under that again. It's the worst approach to filmmaking.
It's pompous and megalomaniac. Which of course is one of the
dangers and traps of my profession. For the rest of your question
I have to disagree radically. The narrative has become more
and more the driving force of my work and the visuals ALWAYS
have to serve the narrative now, not vice versa any more. I
found myself too often in the editing room cutting out the most
extravagant visual stuff when I realized it was rather an obstacle
to the storytelling, not an asset to it. I feel rather similar
about commercials: As much as they emphasize "style",
all the style of the world is down the drain if you're not sure
what you're trying to tell. That doesn't have to be a linear
story, but there's got to be a purpose and a conviction that'll
just have to carry every frame. And isn't that just another
description of "narrative"?
How do you feel about creatives writing
commercial scripts referencing your work? Are you willing to
pastiche your own work?
Movies have been the cutting edge in imagery for a long time,
but not so much anymore. Commercials and video clips often are
way out there today and influence filmmaking more and more.
So I take it as a compliment if creatives are actually referencing
some of my work. After WINGS OF DESIRE, for instance, there
was a whole wave of clips based on that film's catalogue of
images and ideas. It means that for once you were a little ahead
of your time. Look at the endless imitations of PULP FICTION,
even years afterwards. I feel reassured if films can still provide
that resource, every now and then. And NO, I'm not willing to
repeat myself.
Did anything new evolve out of editing
or filming or did the commercial stick to the storyboard?
The storyboard was slightly adjusted during the shoot, mostly
due to our spectacular location in Iceland that just offered
some angles that nobody could have come up with at the drawing
table. And then we left out some shots in the editing and concentrated
the story a little bit more on our main character. Less turned
out to be more, as usual.
Is there some other way you see commercials
developing other than the established format? Is there something
specific you would like to create commercially?
I like commercials that are not dwelling on the product. I'd
love to do something that never even shows it. No pack shot,
nothing. Not that such an approach has never been done before,
I just never had the opportunity. And I never had the chance,
yet, to dream up something just by myself. Fat chance, you might
say.
Some of my favorite scenes from your
movies are the long, languid passages of life - how do you adept
your filmic language to the contemporary quick-cut small-screen
rhythm? Does poetry still have a place in cinema?
Some of these "languid passages" drive me bananas,
in hindsight. Others have kept their purpose and withstand the
test of time. I'm not opposed to quick cuts if the narrative
calls for it. THE AMERICAN FRIEND had some scenes that are very
fast-paced, even by today's standards. Poetry doesn't have to
be "slow". But poetry can't really be "loud".
I don't just mean sound volume. (Although I find that mostly
rather detrimental.) Cuts can be too loud as well.
How does the creative collaboration
with Robbie Müller work and how important is it to work
with him as DP on commercials?
Actually, CARLING PREMIER is our first experience together
on a commercial. I have done all my work in that field with
other cameramen. But Robbie and I go back a long time. He shot
my first narrative short film, when I was still a film student,
exactly 30 years ago. We've learned a lot together. Which means
we're not relying on what we've learned, but rather on continuing
to explore what we don't know yet. What I most like about Robbie
is that he is still scared and can't sleep at night thinking
about tomorrow's lighting problems.
Are you going to direct more commercials?
Yes.
