1 Film, 6 Stories On The 'Pleasure Of Losing Control'
The six stories in Relatos salvajes, or Wild Tales, are unrelated adventures — but the Spanish-language anthology, which is up for best foreign language film at the Oscars Sunday, is united by rage.
In each twisted tale, characters become consumed with anger after relatable experiences like getting cut off on the highway, having a car towed or learning of a husband's infidelity. "They cross the line that separates civilization from barbarism," Argentine director Damián Szifron tells NPR's Arun Rath.
The film, which is Argentina's highest-grossing movie ever, is dark and unnerving, yet deeply funny. Szifron says he can't really choose a favorite story. "I love them all, I mean, they are like kids for me — different kids," he says. "I always think of these short stories as vital organs of the same being. So it's not that I can take one out. They all make the movie live."
Szifron tells Rath about the accidental origins of the movie and a moment when he too lost control.
Interview Highlights
On how the film came together
This was an accidental movie for me. I was working on a science fiction trilogy, then I was working a Western and a love story — all at the same time. And so to the new ideas that kept on coming, I tried to compress them to stop them from becoming more feature films. So, as a result, I got these powerful short stories. By the time that I had three or four I discovered that they were all connected and that they all came from the same DNA — that DNA: the pleasure of reaction, the pleasure of losing control.
On the extreme, yet relatable elements of each story
This is a film that, for me, is very real. Of course there's a lot of fiction in it and you experience it as if you were watching episodes from Alfred Hitchcock Presents or Twilight Zone or Amazing Stories. But also this is talking, I think, a lot about us. The pleasure of reacting, the pleasure of losing control. I thought of that idea a lot while directing the actors because everything is dramatic but the audience is laughing out loud. So there's something in the middle and I would say that is the pleasure of reaction toward injustice, toward abuse of power, of letting your instincts drive your behavior. There's a particular moment in which all characters cross lines that they enjoy it and we do as well.
On a moment when he became unhinged
I did something a few years ago that I didn't know I was capable of before. Which is I got involved in a fight, in fistfight with two guys and I am not that kind of guy. ... But I was with my wife in a restaurant and it doesn't matter why and I had to do a probation after that for a year ... I had to give cinema lessons to people of low resources, which I enjoyed a lot, I have to say. But I know that there's a point in which you can reach that breaking point. We all can. ... I think I know myself more now and it's not that I succeed[ed] in that fight ... I end up in the hospital as well as the other guys, but to know that you can get there and there's a point in which you lose your fear.
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Transcript
ARUN RATH, HOST:
One of the movies up for best foreign language film at the Oscars tomorrow is a fantastic anthology called "Wild Tales." It's out now in the U.S. Argentine director Damian Szifron ties together six unrelated adventures that are dark and unnerving and deeply funny. Szifron says he didn't plan to make a film like this.
DAMIAN SZIFRON: This was an accidental movie for me. I was working in a science-fiction trilogy. Then I was working in a Western and a love story all at the same time. And so to the new ideas that kept on coming, I tried to compress them, to stop them from becoming more feature films. So as a result, I got these powerful short stories. By the time that I had three or four, I discovered that they were all connected, and they all came from the same DNA. That DNA, the pleasure of reaction, the pleasure of losing control.
RATH: Well, the title of the film is "Wild Tales." And they all do involve people basically having civilized exteriors stripped away - people who go wild...
SZIFRON: Absolutely.
RATH: ...In various contexts.
SZIFRON: People crossing the line. They cross the line that separates civilization from barbarism.
RATH: Now I want to be careful in how we talk about these stories. I don't want to give away spoilers because the way that these stories unravel, there's a deliciousness to it, which is really part of the pleasure. But here's one we can talk about pretty easily without giving away the ending - the one called "Road To Hell."
SZIFRON: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, this is a guy that drives on the road in the middle of nowhere.
RATH: A city guy.
SZIFRON: Yeah, a city guy, and suddenly he has an argument with another driver.
RATH: Road rage, we call it here.
SZIFRON: Road rage. Yes, but, you know, the city guy has an Audi, a very powerful car. And he insults the other guy, which is bigger than him. But a few miles ahead, he has a flat tire. So this guy that he insulted is coming back. And he's going to take his revenge.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WILD TALES")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As Character) Que paso?
RATH: Do you have a favorite of these stories?
SZIFRON: I like the road rage episode. I truly like the episode in the wedding in which the bride discovers during her own wedding party that her husband, her new husband is cheating her with another guest to the same party.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "WILD TALES")
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS #1: (As Character) (Speaking Spanish).
SZIFRON: And I don't want to talk about what she does after she finds out that, but she goes really crazy. That one I truly love. And I love them all. I mean, they are like kids for me, different kids. I always think of the short stories as vital organs of the same being. So it's not that I can take one out. They all make the movie live.
RATH: A common element to these, they end up in these extreme, violent situations. But they're all on this very relatable point, whether it's road rage or in one case, it starts off with a guy who gets his car towed.
SZIFRON: Absolutely.
RATH: A lot of people can relate to - and then gets into to this Kafkaesque bureaucracy.
SZIFRON: This is a film that, for me, is very real. Of course, there's a lot of fiction in it, and you experience it as if you were watching episodes from "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" or "Twilight Zone" or "Amazing Stories." But also, this is talking, I think, a lot about us because everything is dramatic, but the audience is laughing out loud. So there's something in the middle. And I would say that is the pleasure of reaction toward injustice, toward abuse of power, of letting your instinct drive your behavior. There's a particular moment in which all characters cross lines that they enjoyed and we do as well.
RATH: I have to ask you because you fixated on this type of story, has there ever been or have there been situations in your life where you have been consumed with rage to the point of becoming unhinged?
SZIFRON: Yeah, yeah, yeah. (Laughter). I mean, I did something a few years ago that I didn't know I was capable of before, which is I got involved in a fight - in a fist fight with two guys. And I am not that kind of guy.
RATH: You don't seem like that kind of guy.
SZIFRON: Absolutely not. But yes, I was with my wife in a restaurant. And it doesn't matter why, and I had to do a probation after that for a year.
RATH: You went to court?
SZIFRON: Yeah. I had to give cinema lessons to people of lower resources, which I enjoyed a lot I have to say. But I know that there's a point in which you can reach that breaking point. We all can.
RATH: Do you feel like you're a better person for having gone through that experience of having lost control?
SZIFRON: I think I am - I know myself more now. And it's not that I succeeded in that fight.
(LAUGHTER)
SZIFRON: I want to make a point. I end up in the hospital as well as the other guys. But to know that you can get there, and there's a point in which you lose your fear.
RATH: So we're not recommending people get into fights...
SZIFRON: Absolutely not.
RATH: ...To have that experience of liberation.
SZIFRON: But I understand why. I mean, I always give the example of a dog. If you put a dog inside a cage and you don't feed him well and you bother the dog with a stick all the day, that dog is going to bite. I wouldn't blame the dog species because of the bite. I would blame the people that are bothering him.
RATH: Damian Szifron is the writer and director of the new film "Wild Tales," and they are wonderfully wild. Damian, thank you so much. It has been a blast speaking with you.
SZIFRON: My pleasure. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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