News culture “An impostor” Denis Villeneuve is wary of compliments: he was praised by Christopher Nolan for Dune 2
Publié le 28/02/2024 à 07:57
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Denis Villeneuve compares compliments… to potted flowers.
Denis Villeneuve, Quebec filmmaker, is praised by his peers and critics, who are full of praise for him. But compliments, he knows, are flattering but sometimes you have to be wary of them.
“The Stanley Kubric of our generation”, “Dune II is the Empire Strikes Back”… what praise and flattering comparisons!
Denis Villeneuve, acclaimed filmmaker, knew conquer the hearts of critics and the public with its unique films. Throughout its successful journey, praise has accumulated, coming from prestigious peers and major figures of the cinema industry. Among the most flattering comparisons, we find that of David Dastmalchian, actor who collaborated with Villeneuve on several projects. He describes him as “a genius” and calls him “our generation's Stanley Kubrick”, a bold but revealing analogy for the impact of Villeneuve’s work. This comparison highlights the technical mastery and the originality of his artistic vision. Villeneuve also cites 2001: A Space Odyssey as a major influence.
Roger Deakins, Villeneuve's cinematographerevokes, for its part, a resemblance to Andrei Tarkovsky. The Russian director is recognized for his introspective and philosophical approach to cinema. Deakins thus highlights the thematic depth and characteristic approach from the Quebec director.
William Friedkin, director of The Exorcist, is also a fan of Villeneuve's work. He thus affirmed that Prisoners was “one of the creepiest films of all time”, and compared it to Seven or Psycho. A comparison which had makes Villeneuve blush, during an interview with Premiere. Indeed, the filmmaker affirmed that The Exorcist was a film which had marked his life as a movie buffwhile he was still in high school.
If Dune: Part I was Star Wars, this one really seems to me to be The Empire Strikes Back (…)
Finally, the most notable comparison recently comes from Christopher Nolan. We told you about it, the director, who was able to see Dune: Part II, compared it to Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. This comparison with a timeless classic demonstrated the respect and admiration that Nolan has for Villeneuve as a filmmaker. This flattering analogy had moved Villeneuve. In a response imbued with humility, he expressed his gratitude for this unexpected compliment. For a filmmaker whose the vision is often carried by evocative images rather than dialoguethis comparison coming from Christopher Nolan, to such a major classic, her favorite Star Wars, was particularly flattering. Villeneuve has this ability to create remarkable works, often admired by people in the profession.
“I always feel like an impostor”
More Villeneuve is not the type to rest on the laurel wreaths placed on his head. He knows how to take compliments. Indeed, during an interview for the New York Times, which he gave with Timothée Chalamet for the promotion of Dune: Part II, Denis Villeneuve made it clear what he thought of these comparisons :
Question: Neither of you are strangers to intense compliments. Denis, you have been called a “genius”, “the Stanley Kubrick of this generation”…
Denis Villeneuve : I learned very early in my career that the bigger the flowers, the bigger the pot that follows them. If you get a big compliment, someone else will say you're a fraud.
Timothée Chalamet: That's a great quote. “The bigger the flowers, the bigger the pot.” Wow.
And Timothée, you were nominated for your first Oscar at 22 years old. You should both have some insight into what is being said around this film: the temptation to buy into your own hype.
Denis Villeneuve : Fortunately, I still feel like an imposter, so there's no danger!
Like the flowers to which Villeneuve compares compliments, even when they are magnificent, he is aware that we risk being pricked by them. He thus recognizes their ephemeral potentialaware that they can also give rise to excessive expectations.
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Denis Villeneuve, a name that counts in world cinema
THE Expectations surrounding Dune: Part II are at an all-time highwith forecasts of box office revenue that could double those of its predecessor. Villeneuve's critical and commercial success seems to continue from film to film, and praise from peers only reinforces this tendency. However, beyond recognition, the director remains faithful to his artistic vision, as evidenced by his refusal to rush into the production of a third part of Dune. For him, quality takes precedence over the schedule requirements imposed by the industry. With his meticulous approach and commitment to the authenticity of his stories, Villeneuve wants to perpetuate the place he has carved out for himself in the global cinematic landscape.
Dune: Part II arrives in our cinemas on February 28.
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