“Amsterdam,”The new David O. Russell historical mystery is filled with enough mega-watt stars that it could power a midsized American town.
The cast includes (but is not limited to) Margot Robbie, John David Washington, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rami Malek, Chris Rock, Mike Myers, Zoe Saldaña, Timothy Olyphant and Matthias Schoenaerts. If there’s a lead in the movie, it’s Christian Bale, who developed the project with Russell and who stars as an injured veteran of World War I who is now looking to help his fellow wounded soldiers start their new lives in New York. His character is hunched over and has extensive prosthetics. He also has one eye. It’s enough to remind you of an earlier Robert De Niro role, where he would transform himself physically to fit the needs of the character. Oh, and De Niro appears in the movie as an ally powerful enough to expose a growing conspiracy.
spoke to Bale and De Niro about re-teaming with Russell (Bale has made three movies with him, De Niro has made four), Russell’s unorthodox way of shooting and whether or not De Niro was relieved to let the younger actor assume the burdens of the physical transformation.
Christian, David and I know that you have been working together on this story for quite some time. Did you ever envision Mr. De Niro playing this role?
Christian Bale: That’s David’s choice and I was blessed to be able to work with Bob. David and Bob first started to talk about a different character, I believe. And then through their research and their conversations, and it’s their fourth film together, I’ve only done three with David. I’m a beginner. Bob and David are both veterans. They go back much further than me –
Robert De Niro: Stop it. He’s the lead. He does a little bit.
Christian Bale: Then, as I understand it the two chose Dillenbeck to play Bob’s most appropriate role.
You’ve both done many movies with David and he has such an idiosyncratic way of shooting things and making movies. Has that process had evolved over the movies that you’ve done with him and has your relationship with him evolved as well?
Robert De Niro: No, well in my case it’s been kind of the same, but things always evolved and changed and so on. David is the core of everything. And the attraction to working with him is because he’s so special and that the movie at the end of the day and hopefully the character will have a special reverberation. He is a great actor. It’s fun and exciting to work with him. But you also know it’s not for naught. It’ll be something that can always be recognized as a special project that people will remember.
Christian Bale: Yeah, absolutely. From my own experience, it seems so. “The Fighter”To “American Hustle” to this, I’ve seen David lean more confidently into how he likes to direct and embrace the cast and crew who love it too. And he gets to know that, who enjoys it, who doesn’t. In my experience, it is clear that being involved with more people is a better way to go. “Amsterdam” than any other film, this is the most David film that I’ve ever come across. He was a complete embracer of it.
David, as Bob had said, he’ll be behind the camera given outlines. The script is always shot, but we then go off-script. And David also, so often with me when I’d be there, he’d be next to my chair or something and he’d be slapping at my ankles or whatever. Or he’d be under the tablecloth over there and sometimes Chivo [cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki] would turn the camera and because you don’t always know who he’s going to turn the camera on toward. And then he’d have to say, “David, I see you, you’re in the background.”David would be running around trying to escape from the shot. It’s the way he works and It is a joy. I love it. It’s evident Bob also loves it. Like any great filmmaker. David’s very unique in his point-of-view and rhythm and perspective.
Are you a person who has ever been frozen up? I’m assuming that style isn’t for everybody.
Christian Bale: Yeah, no. David would occasionally send me as an ambassador to explain. So we’re going to be good. It’s all going to be good. Trust the process and have fun. One time, an actor was just stunned. They didn’t know what the… They had to adjust. It was very interesting.
Mr. De Niro, you’re known for these amazing physical transformations. Are you able to look at Christian and wonder? Thank God I don’t have to have one eye and crazy prosthetics anymore and be hunched over the whole movie?
Robert De Niro: He did a lot. It was amazing. It was wonderful. I did thank God. But he’s great. He is a master at what he does. It’s really something. Yeah. Every time I see it, I’m amazed. Amazing.
Christian: Watch this man set the bar. What do you know?
“Amsterdam”This film is only currently being shown in theaters
