Guy Ritchie: Getting Ritchie
Q: Was part of the reason you cast Adriano Giannini as Madonna's lover because he's the son of Giancarlo Giannini, who starred in the original Swept Away?
A: I looked at a whole floor of Italian actors and I picked Adriano because he looked right. I had no idea who his father was and it wasn't till we were on the plane ride over to the shoot when someone pointed it out. The only thing about that was it seemed a bit cute. But he was by far the best we saw. He's very capable, he's a man--the quintessential Italian lover. He's got a good body, he's funny, he's a great actor.
Q: It was reported that John Turturro was going to play the part. What happened?
A: I was interested in John Turturro for the part of the captain of the ship. And he never called me back.
Q: You have a thing for in-your-face movie titles. You were almost forced to change Snatch because it's a sexual reference in the U.S. What happened to Love, Sex, Drugs and Money, which was going to be the title of your new movie before you went back to Swept Away?
A: After making the movie and reflecting back on it, Love, Sex, Drugs and Money was just the wrong title. I do like a title that doesn't mince words on what the movie's about. Those elements are within the movie, but it's not a good reflection of what the movie is about. Swept Away is a nice title and it's a fair reflection of what you're going to get. It is essentially an angry love story.
Q: Snatch was an impressive film, partly because of the cast. How did you get Brad Pitt to star in it?
A: Brad was just a big fan of the first one, and so he was up to do something.
Q: Most directors lucky enough to get Brad wouldn't dirty him up, cover him with tattoos, let him get his brains beat out and make him speak in an accent no one could understand.
A: I did have a few phone calls from Sony, as they were looking at the rushes. They thought they had hit the jackpot, the fact they were getting a low-budget movie with Brad Pitt in it. Then they couldn't identify him or understand what he was saying. But it was too late, I was already shooting the movie by then.
Q: Was Benicio Del Toro also a fan of yours?
A: Well, Benny was still buzzing away underground. I was a big fan of his and wanted to get him in there.
Q: Snatch was a large ensemble comprised of both experienced actors and relatively new actors. How did you direct both classes in the same scene?
A: I create a relaxed atmosphere in a roomful of men. There is a different vibe going on than if it was a roomful of women.
Q: A lot of European directors who make a splash with a film like Lock, Stock get drafted for big Hollywood films, often losing their way. But you haven't made that big film yet.
A: There were a lot of things I salivated over, just because I loved the idea of spending $100 million. Then I calmed down, decided to sit by, see how the game was played for a little while. I'd like to make big movies. I'm only doing small ones at the moment because it seemed like the right thing to do. That will change.
Q: Why did you turn down Charlie's Angels?
A: I don't necessarily regret not getting involved in that one. I'll tell you a film I did like, which I was up for. I don't know if I would have gotten it, but they sent me the script. It was Ocean's Eleven. I really liked that movie. It was sassy and it wasn't trying to be anything other than what it was. It was simple. And it had a strong identity.
Q: Do you prefer to create your own projects the way you have so far?
A: I do. It's the less lazy thing to do and I'm petrified with becoming lazy. It's very hard work, writing scripts, and it doesn't come easy to me. But I think it's probably quicker to write your own script than to read those by other people. As a writer, you have a vision and when you're directing, that's an extension of the same vision. If you're just directing, you never had the vision in the first place. You have a visual vision, but not an oral vision. You need to marry the two together. Lock, Stock was the first script I did, an extension of a short film I'd made. I only got into screen-writing because I tried to get writers to write something for me so I could direct, and no one would. I was forced to sit down and write one myself.
Q: I'd heard rising through the ranks to become a director in England usually takes a long time, but you never even went to film school. Was yours an accelerated path? A: I was a runner for a year and then I was a director. Usually, you do it that long and figure out what department you will be going into. I knew what department I'd be going into and didn't want to go that way. Film school seems to be getting replaced by music videos. That's nice, because you have an infrastructure of mates who are all coming up the same way. And you have to hustle. Music video is a hustler's game.
Q: Are you next going to make Siege of Malta with Anthony Hopkins and Robert De Niro? A: That will probably be next, I'm dancing around in the middle of it now. It's funny those actors should be mentioned, because I haven't gotten around to casting it yet. They sound good, though. It will be a higher budget and it is certainly ambitious. I've spent over a year with this script and it just keeps moving. But it's important to me that my movies make the money back. There's a balance between making something stimulating, making something that has some form of moral code and something that makes money. And that challenges me.
Q: Does the stress ever get to you?
A: A priority of mine is to always have a good time. I don't want to make this a chore for anyone. I feel very privileged to be in the position I'm in. I feel we should all have a good time doing what we're doing. The people I work with are all good chaps and are very accommodating, which makes my life easy on the set. We just jolly along in this very organic atmosphere. That is evident in my films, there's a lot of jollying going on.
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