senecaby German director Robert Schwentke, was screened out of competition at the 73rd Berlin Film Festival on Monday night.
Shot in Morocco, with a cast that includes Geraldine Chaplin, the film presents the philosopher born in Córdoba (circa 4 BC) and died in Rome (circa 65 AD) as a chatterbox in his final hours, perhaps to hide the fear that his probable sacrifice produced in him, in the hands of a dictator.
The complete opposite of John Malkovich, who at 69 speaks slowly with various journalists from international media, declares himself apolitical and assures that he no longer sees his role as an actor with the same importance as in his youth.
“I’m just a figure in someone else’s dreams,” explains the star of movies like dangerous liaisons either A tea in the Sahara.
surf the wave
“Let’s take the theater for example,” he explains.
“Theater is like surfing: you get up, grab the board, turn your back on the sun and wait for the wave,” he explains.
“When I was young I thought that me and my colleagues were the wave,” he recalls.
“I don’t think that’s the case anymore,” he says.
“I think the wave is the collision between the public and the material. And we just surf it,” he adds with a smile.
“I think I did not realize that in those years. Or in any case, I did not think so. And I only began to find out when I reached 50,” he says.
“John Malkovic wouldn’t do that”
A legend of the seventh art, Malkovich has not only shot with big names in the cinema, such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Raúl Ruiz or Stephen Frears, but has also directed his own films and plays.
But he assures that it would not occur to him to give advice to anyone.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of first-time directors, and if they had listened to me, it probably wouldn’t have been a good thing,” he explains.
“As (director) Spike Lee once told me, ‘John Malkovich wouldn’t do that.'”
“What can you say to that?” he says with a laugh.
“Seneca” can be seen as an allegory for current troubling times, with the rise of populism and a war in Ukraine, but Malkovich is cautious.
“What interested me the most was the script. I found it funny,” he explains calmly.
“Robert (Schwentke) lives in the United States. Probably not the ideal place for intellectuals. It’s something Americans have always been wary of. And it always has been, to be honest,” explains the actor, who currently lives in France. .
“I don’t have an ideology. I don’t think it serves my interests,” he says without blinking.
Asked about your personal opinion about senecathe actor reflects for long seconds.
“Life is corruption,” he suddenly blurts out. “seneca he probably thought he was tempering Nero’s worst instincts.”
Then reconsider. “What I mean is that life is full of commitments that everyone makes. And if you have absolute moral principles, then you don’t make them. But hardly anyone does that,” she explains.
“I’ve had a wonderful life. I can’t be cynical about that, I can’t complain,” he insists.
In that long career, an Oscar is missing. Malkovich has been in a lot of big box office hits, and has been nominated a couple of times, but he says it’s not something he loses sleep over.
“It’s not a ghost I’m chasing.” she says, again phlegmatic. “Personally I don’t like to make big speeches,” she agrees, “so I’m very happy not to have awards.”