interview with a director : malcolm venville

I had the opportunity to speak with British director Malcolm Venville, whose new film 44 Inch Chest is currently screening in theatres. The film follows the story of a man who becomes overwrought when he discovers that his wife was having an affair, and with the help of his friends, he kidnaps her lover. It’s an exploration into a troubled man’s psyche, and while it involves an excessive amount of swearing, it features an all-star cast including Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Ian McShane and Tom Wilkinson.
During the interview, Venville spoke about his work prior to this film, his cinematic influences, his collaboration with the cast and crew, and the film’s key themes.

Your new film is called 44 Inch Chest – what is the significance of this title?

It actually refers to an average man’s chest size. That’s what’s brilliant about working with these writers – there’s always a level of ambiguity!

I read in an article that you started out directing music videos – how did you find the transition into cinema?

I’ve done some music videos, but I mostly came from a commercial background. I really enjoyed making commercials because it acted as a great film school for me. I learnt how to shoot a scene, work with actors, cameramen and crew. It was really good experience for my transition into cinema.

Did any directors influence you in particular?

Growing up in London I was influenced by some famous commercial directors, but a big inspiration for me was Alfred Hitchcock, who was my main guide. I don’t necessarily want to work in the mystery/thriller genre in the future, but I really enjoy his comic tone and his dark humour.

What was it like working with such a well-established British cast in this film?

I would like to work with them all again. They were all such great people to collaborate with. It was effortless working with them. There were no ‘movie star’ problems… they wanted to rehearse and to obtain the best out of the material at hand.

Did you enjoy working with composer Angelo Badalamenti and the band Massive Attack?

Angelo is fantastic. The mood in his work (coming from composing many of David Lynch’s surreal films) is suited to what we wanted, and it was a lot of fun working with him. There is a cool and understated quality to his work, which I love. I actually think he got involved in composing the music because he wants to play the character of ‘old man peanut’ on Broadway, so I promised him that if the film ever made the transition, he would get the part.

Massive Attack were really happy to collaborate with Angelo and they provided us with some great moments in the film. They are a very talented band, one that I listened to when I was growing up, so I was privileged to work with them.

In a recent interview you noted that you grew up with deaf parents – how did this influence you in your cinematographic choices?

It influenced me very much. I think that deaf people see and understand the world through their eyes. And growing up around that, by necessity, I became a very visual person. It really helped me with my visual arrangements, my compositions, and my use of body language. Those who can hear tend to judge people by tone of voice, but deaf people can only read the way a person is standing. In my opinion, the way an actor stands and what he does with his body, is just as important as the dialogue.

You included clips from Sampson and Delilah – a classic film that follows the story of a treacherous woman. Do you think that your film will appeal to female audiences, as it also seems to imply that women are the reason for a man’s demise?

Sampson and Delilah exemplifies the way that the character known as ‘old man peanut’ (played by John Hurt) sees the world, which is in this Jurassic, biblical way. Sampson is wronged by a woman and then decides to kill himself and everyone around him as an act of revenge. This doesn’t happen in 44 Inch Chest, so I don’t think my film is misogynistic. I think it actually praises a highly resolute woman.

The key themes of the film revolve around jealousy, revenge, adultery and most importantly, love. But what is the film’s message?

It is a study in revenge and forgiveness. The protagonist (played by Ray Winstone) is a man, who in order to survive, has to forgive, and the root of that is what interested me. It is also an anti-poetic film about love and the danger of being in love, and about the vulnerabilities that come with it.

Do you have any upcoming projects?

I’m in the process of finishing a film called Henry’s Crime which is an offbeat comedy starring Keanu Reeves and Vera Farmiga, due to be released at the end of this year.