Even though Terrence Malick has made not talking to the press a trademark, his process is not quite as mysterious. Though he starts with a script, the director shoots for mood not narrative, and finds the film on location and in the editing suite. And as you might expect, with three pretty generous behind-the-scenes featurettes arriving for his latest "To The Wonder," you won't see him in a single frame of it.
Instead, the lead cast — Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Javier Bardem and Rachel McAdams — along with the producers Sarah Green and Nicolas Gonda, and editor Mark Yoshikawa, deliver insights into the making of the movie. The overriding theme tends to be that the actors are always discovering and learning about their characters, and while preparation is advised — a syllabus was provided — being available to shift and change in the moment seems to be the greatest asset one can bring to the movie.
Anyway, give them all a look below. And after that, check out a new French TV spot for the film featuring a few more bits and bobs of footage. "To The Wonder" opens in the U.K. on February 22nd, and in the U.S. on April 12th. [Sky/The Film Stage]
Anyone else wondering where Malick was in those clips?
One has to wonder how nervous the financers of "Badlands" were when they saw how Malick was casting and directing.