A candid discussion reveals the complexities of working on this ambitious outer space thriller.
Taboo is an uneasy word. A century ago, Freud attempted to pin it down. Its paradox, he realized, was that taboo is something that is at once sacred and dangerous; a kind of forbidden act that feels all too divine to resist. High Life, the latest film by masterful French director Claire Denis, hinges on this psychoanalytic crux. Set on an intergalactic prison space ship, the film’s misfit subjects become guinea pigs for a whole host of perverse sexual and reproductive experiments. “It was about a taboo,” Denis ultimately admitted at the film’s panel at the 56th annual New York Film Festival last Thursday.
And what might that taboo be? In High Life, it’s the sheer spectacle of these erotic tensions, tortures, and traumas. But at the panel, Denis was asked about one instance specifically: the relationship between protagonist Monte, played by Robert Pattinson, and his daughter, Willow, which spirals toward particularly Freudian lengths.
Pattinson, who was also in attendance, spoke to this relationship’s complexity. He explained his delicate experience working as an actor with baby Willow: “You can’t really help but be quite soft. I’d planned to be much stranger,” he continued, “But it’s almost impossible to do that.” Yet the conversation lightened as Denis revealed how the film casted baby Willow. “Robert knew her,” she explained, “she’s the daughter of his best friends.” Desperate to make the right fit, Denis called these friends in the middle of the night: “We need a baby, immediately!” Robert joked, remembering the moment.
As the panel continued, Denis also revealed her experiences working (or, not working) with acclaimed novelist Zadie Smith on the film’s screenplay, her decision to release High Life in the English language instead of her native French (a first for her,) as well as her hesitant, thoughtful process toward casting Pattinson. Watch the full panel below to hear more.
We also were on the red carpet later that evening. Check out some of our pics and videos below:
And #RobertPattinson attends #nyff premiere of “High Life” @TheNYFF pic.twitter.com/wppsrHOyek
— The Knockturnal (@_TheKnockturnal) October 3, 2018
A few more shots of #RobertPattinson @TheNYFF premiere of “High Life” cc @A24 pic.twitter.com/7srIXqHR9f
— The Knockturnal (@_TheKnockturnal) October 3, 2018
— The Knockturnal (@_TheKnockturnal) October 3, 2018
