UPDATE: Google translation from Cicero.de removed and replace with OliveColouredVoice's translation in the comments. Thanks Olive!
“Delillo’s words are like the bible”All 3 of these interviews are translated...you guys know the drill :)
With his new film, Cosmpolis, Robert Pattinson ventures to the abysses of the financial world. Cicero online talked to the ex-vampire about the lethargy of his generation, split personalities and pastry assassinations.
Mr. Pattinson, Eric Packer is leaving his aura, his limo, once and immediately he is attacked with a cake. Was there a similar moment in your career?
Strangely, I have shot a similar scene for "Water for Elephants". But otherwise, no, not that I know of. Maybe in a metaphorical sense ...
No aggressive paparazzi and overzealous fans?
No, no one dared to do that so far. Thank God, otherwise that would have had consequences.
How would you describe your character in the movie?
Eric Packer is a man who looks at the whole world very abstract, himself, his body, his fellow men. He shows egomaniacal characteristics and lives in his inner self, in a world in which actual reality doesn’t exist. Throughout the film, he finally tries to regain control of his body, of himself, until he gives up completely at the end.
What will remain to you of Eric Packer?
It's weird. I had to remember so much text and I thought these lines would disappear from my brain as soon as each scene is filmed. But the words are still there, I can still memorize the entire script. It sounds stupid, but there are times a day in which I quote passages from DeLillo, flawless. David (Cronenberg) always says: "It's like the Bible! There is a quote for every occasion! Somehow DeLillo's words are still stuck with me. Their meaning becomes more and more aware to me. Especially in the scene with Samantha Morton, as we talk about the future, there are passages that haunt me literally. (Tink: If he really said this, I totally relate. When you embrace the film, those words and passages stick with you long after and you do end up quoting them.)
Is this due to DeLillo's strong lyrical, poetic word formations?
Yes. I was unsure at first to accept the movie offer because I thought it would be extremely boring. Because basically, "Cosmopolis" is about people who are talking in a car – just that. One can easily miss the point in the movie. Either you follow DeLillo's words all the time, or you lose yourself in it, without knowing exactly what happens - then you are left with only a couple of nice pictures. David (Cronenberg) had so many strange ideas, things that at first I did not really understand. But if you’ll let yourself get involved with this, you'll see the whole picture! I've seen the film three times now. It was only the second time I could really get involved and I was just completely overwhelmed.
You say DeLillo's words haunt you. Did the the movie teach you something about life, about our times that you weren’t aware of beforehand?
Some things of political current affairs I haven’t thought about much while shooting, such as the Occupy-Wall Street movement . Then we did the protest scene: 200 extras rattled the limo, climbed onto the roof and tried with all their might to overturn the car. We sat there and focused on our dialogue - and it was so easy to ignore all this! You forget that 200 people are out there, just basically trying to kill you. That's insane! Every day we pursue similar scenes in the real world, watching TV. And you just have to turn it off and suddenly you forget what’s happening out there in the world. With Occupy thousands of people are fighting for a cause, and all their efforts have absolutely no effect on those against whom they protest. That's kind of scary. A few years ago I read a book about slavery. It described how brutal the slave owners have been to their slaves during daytime and at night they were talking about theology and God. Actually that shows that one and the same person can live in two completely different realities. While preparing for my role, I watched the interview between the serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer and his father. This is so sad. If you then imagine what Dahmer did you ask yourself how you can ever have pity with such a creature. In such moments your own emotional condition divides from the life story of the reality of this person.
Were you inspired by Jeffrey Dahmer for your role?
A little bit. Mainly I was looking for a voice. I watched Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, and then found this Dahmer interview with his father. And coincidentally, at the end of the shoot it turned out that Paul Giamatti was watching exactly the same interview for his long final monologue.
Do you engage yourself politically?
Not in public. I form an opinion, but I’ll watch out for not telling people what to do. Maybe I just know too little to take responsibility for the actions of other people.
But you could still use your Twilight image to sensitize the younger generation for political and economic world events!
I don’t know. My generation shares this aggressive apathy, in which no one goes to the polls and at the same time they are irritated that everything slowly but surely loses significance. That’s ridiculous! People do make their own world! If I look at the Occupy phenomenon for example: Even if you don’t agree on the message itself or you can’t identify with the content, I think it's great that at least a few more people are getting involved.
Do you know anything of economy?
No.
What do you do with your money?
I hide it under the bed. Probably that's pretty stupid, but I don’t understand much of it. I just hope that I will be fine.
In the film Eric Packer seems very static. Basically, there are no changes in his facial expressions, gestures, or even in his own language, like a zombie, he moves through New York until he shoots himself in the hand at the end. Here you see a little humanity.
(Laughs embarrassed) It shouldn’t be like that with the static perception. Eric Packer's development takes place largely within him, very subtle. I think he is trying to be reborn.
And this slow, subtle development is also reflected in the slow-moving traffic and in the funeral ...
Exactly. He is like an iceberg - in the end he begins to break apart until nothing is left.
How critical are you with your own performance?
Very critical. This is the first film I've seen more than once, mainly because I was forced to. (Laughs) I had to watch it in Cannes and was not allowed to leave the room.
Did you want to leave?
For heaven's sake, yes! When I saw the movie for the first time, it was not quite ready yet. The second time I really liked it. And at Cannes, I didn’t watch it at all, I just watched the audience. With every cough, every clearing of the throat I thought: Oh my God, what does this mean? I’m always critical with my work, I mean, after all you want people to like what you are doing. After all that is the reason to make the next film.
Mr. Pattinson, thank you for your time!
Two more interviews after the cut!
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