"Any fight in a movie is choreography"
The problem with Russian science fiction blockbusters is low budgets and a disdainful attitude towards drama, Anton Pampushny believes. But in order for Russia to have its own "John Wick" or Marvel, the films of the Andreasyan brothers are necessary, the action artist is sure. Anton Pampushny spoke about the hate against The Defenders, his work in the American TV series Jack Ryan, Roman Polanski's master class and the new film Identification in an exclusive interview with Izvestia.
"I've always been interested in the mechanics of working with weapons"
— In the movie "Identification" you play a man who has lost his memory and acquires a new mind through a neurochip. Do you see a reflection of the future in this story?
— It seems to me that the future is connected with all kinds of technologies and the introduction of chips into the human body. That's what we're going to face.
— And soon. Are you ready to donate some of your memory to someone else's algorithm? For example, in exchange for the ability to control machinery, like your hero?
— It's still fantastic. The characters are fictional, and so are the adventures. Personally, I am not afraid of any implementation. The choice is up to the person to do it or not. Someone wants to install a chip and open the doors with their finger, but someone doesn't.
— There are many battle scenes in the film. Do you like to put yourself through physical challenges, or do you prefer to trust stuntmen?
— I love action shooting. There are some good scenes in "Identification," but there are also some that I would like to make better. In a movie, a real fight wouldn't look real. In reality, it is always shorter and faster. The movements are not so sweeping, not so bright. It's often not clear what happened at all, but the person is lying down.
Generally, any fight in a movie, and everything related to it, is choreographed. You need to integrate into it. I'll tell you a secret. In a fight, the effect is achieved not by the one who hits, but by the one who gets hit. If your opponent is a good specialist, he will play it flawlessly. And the viewer will think: Oh, my God!
— In the movies, you quite often use firearms or even full-weight swords. Have you had any special training?
— Since childhood, I have had respect for cold steel and firearms. I've always been interested in the mechanics of working with it. And my characters are often associated with military affairs. We often forget that guns are designed to kill people. You need to be able to show it. There are many nuances with the tactics of moving in a room, in an open space, in the dark. This is also choreography. There's a whole franchise built on this technique at John Wick.
— After the Balkan Frontier, you became, in a sense, the face of patriotic cinema. Do you feel responsible for what your characters mean?
— When we were working on this painting, no one imagined what effect it would have. I still receive words of gratitude from the military. The image turned out to be correct for them. This is a great and valuable experience for me.
The "defenders" gave an understanding of how not to do"
— If you are being thanked for the "Balkan Frontier", then the "Defenders" have caused a wave of haight. What happened?
— There was a cool concept in Defenders that was well publicized. And then came the production reality. The film required graphics. It takes a long time to draw. At that time, the team's decisions seemed optimal. My character only had five acting shifts. This is a very primitive format of existence, but the genre demanded it. If you watch the early comic book movies, you'll see a similar style.
Then the staff of about a hundred people was engaged in graphics. Every nuance is finance. If we see that something is poorly drawn in the picture, it means that there was not enough money. In American films, the budget is often formed at the request of the director. And here, conditionally, it is necessary to withdraw for two rubles. Or better yet, in one and a half hours. Then the heroics begin. As a result, The Defenders caused a wave of outrage because people expected to see Marvel.
I can scold and praise the movie. I really liked the idea. There was some value in that. The Defenders could easily become a franchise. Maybe it will happen after a while. We just need a different approach, which was not available in Russia at that time. We didn't know how to grow the universe. Now a good example is "Major Thunder". But if it hadn't been for Sarik Andreasyan's film, they might have made a mistake. The "defenders" gave an understanding of how not to do it. In any case, I treat this project with great respect. Although there were problems with drama and technical capabilities.
— And if Sarik Andreasyan invites you to star in the sequel to "Defenders" or in another film, will you go?
— Sarik and Gevond are creative guys. I respect the fact that, despite the huge wave of hate and pressure in the cinematic space, they have made a successful company. Falling and getting up, they became the leaders of film production in Russia. Movies, in principle, don't have to be a hit 100% of the time. After all, haight also leads to something. At a minimum— this is a guideline on how not to do it, if you want. Can you do better? Do It. I don't like to criticize my colleagues, because everyone has their own way. The Andreasyan brothers' films have a right to exist because there is a demand for them.
"Polanski wanted to be a bully and did it unbuttoned"
— Tell us about the work on "The Palace" with Roman Polanski. How was it?
— It's like a great master class with a master. I didn't have a role as such. Initially, I auditioned for the character, which was eventually played by Sasha Petrov. Then I was approved. And it turned out that I was playing some friend of this comrade. I start watching the script and realize that there is no role. A person just exists in the background. And I wondered if I should agree. There was also a political subtext. It is unclear who the film is directed against. Is this an anti-Russian story or an anti-globalist one? What is a movie about anyway?
I tried to weigh what was more important to me: a role that didn't exist, but still Polanski's masterclass, or rejection. I couldn't make up my mind myself, so I called Sasha. We talked for a long time. It turns out that he was tormented by the same questions. And then he said, "We're graduating from creative universities so that we can face such legends on the set." Sasha was just reading my mind. Thanks to this conversation, I ended up in the "Palace".
— What did you learn from this master class?
— Polanski is unique in his approach. It is clear that it is difficult to assess the style of the director for one picture, and here is a genre that is not standard for him. When I read the script, I thought it didn't look like a movie at all. It's a strange concept. The magazine "Wick" in the Swiss spill. But then I realized that Polanski wanted to be a hooligan and did it untied.
He neglected cinematic decisions, ignored some dramatic things and did what he wanted. Today, you can brand a painting. But, in my opinion, this is an artist's statement. How did the audience feel about it? This is the second one.
I was struck by its versatility. He worked with a multinational team and at the same time spoke to everyone in their languages. He had Italians, French, Poles, Russians, British. He explained to the French in French what kind of light to put on. He told the Italians his own thing. He immediately turned to us and gave instructions in Russian, and a minute later he was discussing something with the German operator in his language.
Many directors keep their distance. And it seemed that Polanski should behave the same way. He has an incredible life experience, in which there have been many tragic events and haight. He became a legend and at the same time remained a man. He has enough strength and energy to make you forget how old he is. I am very grateful for this experience. Once again, I am convinced that working is more important than not working. And the one who chooses the first is right.
"The budget for one episode of Jack Ryan is three Defenders films."
— "The Palace" is not the only international project in your filmography. There is also an American TV series "Jack Ryan". How does working with an international team differ from Russian production?
— The budget for one episode of "Jack Ryan" is three "Defenders" films. The organization of the filming process is directly related to financing. If a Western company can afford to block off the center of Athens in order to remove a passage along the street, and do it for three days with an audience of 400 people, then in Russia people will twist their fingers at their temples.
We had a scene at a fish market in Greece. We were preparing to shoot a short episode and a micro-shootout with John Krasinski, who plays the main role. We are filming a passage through the market. And there, from lobsters to sharks, there are all kinds of marine reptiles. We enter — and the crowd freezes. The second director quickly explains to me — you shoot a couple of times, then you look at one camera, at the other, and that's it. And I'm standing there thinking — is the market working or not? Everything is so natural.
It turns out that there were extras all around. On command, they moved at once, and then — stop, and froze. There are not 10, not 15 people, not even 200. Imagine, they completely rented the market, each time they brought fresh fish there and put several hundred extras to remove the microcene! No one in Russia will do that. It's just financially impossible.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
