In late November 2004 IFTN asked its readers to send questions for Thaddeus O’Sullivan, director of ‘Ordinary Decent Criminal’, ‘December Bride’ and ‘The Woman Who Married Clarke Gable,’ currently in Dublin shooting the second instalment of the crime series ‘Proof.’
An opportunity like this does not come along very often and our readers grabbed their chance to pose questions to one of Ireland’s most respected and renowned directors.
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IFTN: I enjoy your work very much. I have been a big fan for ages.
Being interested in the Art Department, I would very much like to know how you and your team are tackling your latest project, Proof 2. Is it easy shooting a contemporary drama or do you try to add a look to something we all know and see every day?
Alvie Singer
THADDEUS: The look of contemporary stories is generally defined by genre: romantic comedies have soft colours with pleasant and unobtrusive lighting, thrillers are cool, muted colours with hard lighting and frantic camera. It’s necessary to break out of that strait jacket if you want to produce something distinctive.
The elements in ‘Proof 2’ are various [it’s a series]. It’s a political thriller but with themes of racism and corporate corruption and journalism against a background of middle-class Dublin. We decide to bring these disparate worlds together by using soft lighting and warm colours for each element. However this approach is interpreted differently for each element: soft lighting and warm colours can be just as threatening and gritty if used in the right way. Stephen Daly is Production Designer so you can blame him if you don’t like the look of ‘Proof 2’ when you see it!
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IFTN: I’d say this Q&A will be lots of people asking for advice. What is the best and worst piece of advice you have been given? & What project are you most proud of? from Dan.
THADDEUS: I presume you mean professionally. I don’t think I’ve had much advice to be honest, good or bad so nothing stands out.
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IFTN: There were a lot of comparisons between ‘The General’ and ‘Ordinary Decent Criminal’.
Do you feel that the comparisons were entirely justified or do you feel that the two films, despite being based on the same story, approached the subject so differently that comparisons between the two shouldn’t have been made? Also, do you feel that the critical and commercial success of ‘The General’ affected the reception and performance at the Box Office? Cheers, Liam Mitchell.
THADDEUS: Most journalists who wrote of ‘Ordinary Decent Criminal’ did compare it with ‘The General’. This was inevitable since it had the same subject matter and came out at about the same time. However, I thought comparisions were pointless because the films were so completely different and that is also the reason why I doubt ‘The General’ affected the box office performance of ‘ODC’.
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IFTN: I believe that ‘December Bride’ is your most fully realized film. The high quality of its writing, direction, acting and cinematography combine to make it one of the best films about Ireland and Irish themes.
You achieved this by borrowing the traditions and aesthetics of European cinema instead of the classical Hollywood system. As Ireland becomes more European, do you think that we can make films that are closer to the European model than the Hollywood one? Patrick Walsh, Limerick
THADDEUS: The short answer is yes. However, now more than ever, because we make films in English it is assumed we will conform to the Hollywood model. Yet the European tradition is probably closer to our instinct but as ever, this is more difficult to express when large sums of money are involved. Good examples recently are Adam and Paul and Timbuktu. [Thanks for your comments on December Bride]
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IFTN: You are often described as a pioneer of the modern Irish film industry. How appropriate/accurate do you think this description is?
How has the industry changed in recent years and do you think it is changing for the better, especially with the introduction of High Def? How do you compare film and HD?
Best, Aaron Brown
THADDEUS: I think anyone who makes a good film is a pioneer of sorts. I’ve seen most recent Irish productions and I’m convinced the industry is changing for the better. There are always too many films aping Hollywood but that’s just how it always is. The Unions here are still a pain in the arse.
I personally don’t like High Def but it is good in certain circumstances [gives a lot more detail in the shadows for example] It can still be tempermental with colours. A bit unpredictable but that might suit too!
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IFTN: As you are one of the most experienced Irish filmmakers in the industry today I was wondering how you felt about the headlines in the press this year hailing a new era for Irish cinema. What is the last good Irish movie you have seen and do you think 2004 has been a good year for Irish film? An avid fan.
THADDEUS: See answer to Q4. Best film I’ve seen lately is ‘Adam and Pau’l. I liked ‘Inside I’m Dancing’, ‘Man about Dog’ and ‘ Timbuktu’. That’s good in one year.
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IFTN: In spite of his reputation as one of the great character actors of this or any age, Kevin Spacey was critically panned for his performance in Ordinary Decent Criminal.
Do you, as director, take it personally when a performance from one of your actors, especially one with such a lofty reputation as Kevin Spacey is not viewed well by the critics or does the Actor himself have to shoulder the responsibility? From Bridget Alcox.
THADDEUS: Kevin was panned because of the accent alone. I thought that was unfair. I take responsibility for everything in my film. I take it all very personally which is why I don’t [or try not to] read reviews. At the same time I believe all actors carry a responsibility to do their best for the film.
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IFTN: Hello I am a Greek-Irish doctor with a script about a true story based on experiences in a superstitious hamlet in rural Ireland. It is a thriller/drama about re-bounding violence and tribal clans in modern Ireland. Is there a market for such outrageous truth written for the sake of social reform? Thanks Catherine O'Loughlin
THADDEUS: For the sake of an interesting film of an ‘outrageous truth’, yes but for the sake of social reform, I’m not so sure.
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IFTN: I am a cinematographer, but I am struggling to find a way to launch my career since I finished my in studies in September. You began you career as a cinematographer, can you give me some advice? Also, was it a difficult transition going from cinematographer to director back in 1989, do you think you could do the same today? Thanks, Jack Finnegan.
THADDEUS: I started out studying graphics, then was a stills photographer. At the Royal College of Art I was cameraman on my own films and that was completely instinctive to me. However, others then asked me to photograph their films. When Channel 4 started these filmmakers got money to make features and asked me to light them. That’s how I started. I always wanted to direct and never saw myself as a cinematographer for very long.
The experience as a DOP made the transition much easier. The more you know on a set the less terrifying the whole thing is. Most good cameramen can direct. Probably better [though less do it] than writers who make the leap. The accepted routes to DOP are through the camera department. I expect that’s not the route you are taking? That makes it harder but a lot more interesting since you are doing it rather than watching others doing it.
I presume you are trying to light shorts, for collegagues…? That’s how most start. I haven’t got much time to talk about it now because I am shooting, but contact me again if you want to pursue conversation.
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IFTN: Despite the fact that your films ‘December Bride’ and ‘Nothing Personal’ have done well at the European Film Awards and on the European Festival Circuit, they don’t seem to have traveled well beyond Europe into America. Is this something that you are constantly aware of, or is it not a concern for you as a European director?
Do you think that there is such an inherent difference between European and American cinema that this crossover success will continue to evade most European directors unless they sacrifice some of their filmmaking ethics? Regards, Samantha Delaney
THADDEUS: I would like to make films in America [I made a TV series for NBC] After ‘Nothing Personal’ I developed films for a numbers of studios. Development hell lasted for several years. I started to focus on films here then. But I still want to do it. The challenge is always the same. How to you make interesting films for the widest possible audience? The American drive to make films of a certain kind is, it seems, uniquely American. How can it be emulated? I don’t know but Working Title have come closer with their romantic comedies. I thought [ and so did the American distributors] that we might do it with my film 'The Heart of Me' but is seems it was too dark [though the critics liked it]
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IFTN would like to thank Thaddeus and all our readers for a great Q&A.
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