FLICKS: Why did you sign on to do this film?
MICHAEL FASSBENDER: It was just that John and I had done a couple of films together before. I liked working with him. The short films we’d done we worked out pretty well. And then it was just wanting to do a feature with him and this was his feature idea that he’d been working on himself. So it wasn’t really like, “Oh I really want to do this”. I mean, I did want to do a Western for all those reasons that are obvious. Me being very childish and wanting to run around with toy guns and stuff like that, but it was just really whatever his first feature was going to be about.
How did you first get to know John?
Just through watching the videos for The Beta Band. Conor McCaughan, who’s my agent and business partner in DMC Film, used to represent him. So he cunningly got me in front of a TV with the video. He had the videos and showed me, actually knowing that John had the script in mind for me, which was Man on a Motorcycle. And I was like, “Wow. I’d like to do something with this guy.” And he was like, “Well, it just so happens that he’s got this script about a motorcycle courier”, which is the short film we shot on a mobile phone. In 2007, I think that was. And then we did Pitch Black Heist in 2010 with the intention of getting money to do a feature, and then we got the feature because of Pitch Black. And now we’re here.
In New Zealand shooting John’s debut. How is it here?
I’ve always wanted to go to New Zealand, so we wrote a script so that we could have a holiday here [laughter]. No. It was always on my list of places to come to. I had friends from here and just never got round to it, so it’s a really big privilege to be here filming here and, of course, working with the crews here who are very experienced and very good at what they do, so we lucked out.
That was my patsy question, that everyone from overseas gets asked when they come to New Zealand: “How are you finding it so far? Do you like us?” So there you go. Ticked that box.
I suppose with the experience that the crews have here with Peter Jackson really started here, it’s really nice to see the effects of it.
So being here makes up for not being a Hobbit, then?
Just about. I missed out on that experience, unfortunately, but this has been, it’s been great.
It seems like it’s been one of those years for you where you’ve been consistently busy, but with all those projects coming out around the same time.
Yeah, it just happens that way. I took a year off after Prometheus, so I wasn’t doing anything for a year. Well, I was working with writers, working with John on this, trying to really put energy into DMC, the company that I started with Conor. That takes time and energy, and it takes a lot of attention in terms of working with writers and working with stories, trying to come up with original stories, and working on all the various stuff we’ve got going on. So that really needed time, and also I just wanted to take a break and give everyone else a break as well. And then I started up again, started with 12 Years a Slave, The Counselor, then on to the Terrence Malick movie, then onto Frank and then a little bit of few months’ down time and then onto X-Men: Days of Future Past, and now onto this.
That’s a massively varied schedule of films to do in a year. Is that just the way that the chips fall, or did you like to have all those different sort of things going on?
It’s a priority, really, to try and do as much different stuff as possible. It’s a big deal for me to be trying to do different stuff as much as I can, you know. I have that great privilege of being in that position doing it. That was always what interested me when I started out acting, to try and do different things and explore as many different stories as I can. So yeah, looking good.
Amongt that variety, you’ve got this what is becoming a bit of a partnership with John, and Steve McQueen as well. Why do you keep doing stuff with these guys?
Because I think I think two heads are better than one, three heads are better than two. It’s just trying to find working relationships that work and also personalities that work. Chemistry, things like that. Always just looking for collaborators, you know? Whether it be other actors that I can work with, that you’re just on the same wavelength with. Not necessarily the same personalities, but you just work well together. I always think whatever it takes to get the best end result. I still like to work with people that are story-focused as a priority, as opposed to ego-centred priorities. Just for the story. Whatever is best for the story. It just makes it a lot easier if you are working with people that are really bringing everything to the table, and hopefully you are, and then you batter it out together. It’s just better, I think. I think there’s very few people that are singular geniuses that make fantastic films.
Really, what I’m loving more and more about the industry is that collaboration, whether it’s between Georgia in makeup, and we’re discussing the look of the character and I’ll say something and she doesn’t agree with it, or I don’t agree with something she does and, in the end, hopefully we come up with something. And then that goes down. That works with props. That works with costume, and with John the director, and everyone. And then you’ve got something that’s working together as a team. Sometimes it works, and when it works, and everybody’s moving really together, it’s a well-oiled machine, and then it’s very fulfilling. It’s also a nice atmosphere to be around. Sometimes it doesn’t work…
Everyone seems to be having a very good time down here, and the working atmosphere feels great.
Yeah, because I think again, it’s down to that respect between departments, and everybody is doing their job in their departments, so there’s not that situation with people feeling that some one department’s not pulling their weight here or there or anywhere. People just getting on with what they’re doing.
What have been the most satisfying parts of Slow West so far?
I so liked the first draft of this script and then the next evolution of the script, and then the next one and the next one. And he’s just worked really hard, and also I think he’s developed a really good script. And now for us to be on the set, shooting it, the casting process – looking at all the different talents that New Zealand has here to offer. And Michael [Whalley] out there, he did a fantastic audition for the kid. And we’ve just wrapped Edwin [Wright] today, who was playing Victor the Hawk. These are great actors and, again, we’re really lucky that there’s been enthusiasm for the project down here, so we’ve had a really amazing pick of local talent.
I guess it’s letting a lot of those guys do stuff they wouldn’t otherwise get to do in New Zealand.
Hopefully we’ve brought hopefully a challenge, a fun challenge, for various actors here. I know that all of the ones that we’ve had have been really enthusiastic.
We’ve been blessed, really, in terms of that with the talent that’s here. I know in Ireland it’s kind of the same. We had so many films come through there in the late 90s, from Braveheart to Saving Private Ryan and there was crews that had the chance to work on big films, get experience, and it’s essential, you know? And I think the same thing’s happened here with – as I say – The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit. I thought Top of the Lake was an excellent series. So we’ve been able to capitalise on the talent here. We were really lucky in that respect.
Read our full interview with ‘Slow West’ director John Maclean
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