Sturla Gunnarsson is standing at a pay phone on a dirt road in a tiny
village in Costa Rica talking about Vikings, fjords and monsters.
The director of Beowulf & Grendel is enjoying a warm vacation after
spending 45 days on the rainy, windy and very chilly coast of Iceland
shooting the medieval adventure pic that stars Gerard Butler as the
Norse hero Beowulf, who battles a troll name[d] Grendel.
Gunnarsson was born in Iceland but his family immigrated to Vancouver
when he was six years old. However, the filmmaker who gave us
Diplomatic Immunity, Such a Long Journey and Rare Birds, has never lost
touch with his homeland, which is why he jumped at the chance to return
to the island and make a film based on the ancient Anglo-Saxon poem.
"The Icelandic landscape has been in my imagination since I can
remember, that's where I was born, and those images have been swimming
in my unconsciousness," says Gunnarsson.
But making a film in such harsh conditions tested the hardy Gunnarsson
and his cast.
"For the actors there was always an unwritten character in every scene
--- the weather --- and you didn't know what he was going to do, but
you had to go with it, which was fabulous because that's the world
these characters lived in. You get into the 'no acting required'
territory. If you could manage to stand on your mark without being
blown over and speak the lines loud enough for anyone to hear them then
that was an accomplishment.
"For me, working in those conditions, was exhilarating in a sort of
beautiful and horrible way. Every time you'd achieve a shot there was
so much pride on set because every shot was so hard fought."
The story focuses on legendary hero Beowulf, who comes to the aid of
the Danish king (Stellan Skarsgard) whose people are being terrorized
by the troll Grendel. Beowulf realizes Grendel is an intelligent foe,
and with the help of a witch (Sarah Polley) unearths reasons behind
Grendel's gruesome attacks.
Getting the much-in-demand Butler to star was another epic challenge.
"I saw Gerry in Lara Croft, Timeline and Dear Frankie and decided he
was my guy," explains Gunnarsson.
"Our casting director got the script to him. First his agency read it
and passed, so she got it to his manager, who read it and also passed
(laughs). She called him back and said, 'Are you out of your f---ing
mind?' He read it again and said, 'You're right this is a great
script.' So once we got all of his management to read it, then Gerry
read it and loved it right away. Gerry was in right from the start, but
we had to get through all the keepers first.
"He was a real trooper, slopping around in that mud and water and sh-t
all day long. Lots of guys could have said, 'I'm outta here, talk to my
agent.' Gerry is an interesting guy, very masculine and forceful on a
certain level, but very sensitive also, and those guys are in short
supply.
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ストゥーラ・ガナーソンの実にいかした映画
2006年３月18日
Famous (Famous Player's Theatre) Magazine
イングリッド・ランドーヤ
