Cinema Canada (May 1980)

eee ee But we didn’t find the right one. In the end, we saw about 400 kids. Cinema Canada: Did you cast in Canada as well ? Max Fischer : No, for the simple reason that Canada came about at the last moment. The Lucky Star's history is a very funny one. In desperation — because | couldn't do the film in America as I had wanted to do, because of the problems we were talking about earlier — I said, what the hell! The film could have been made a long time ago in Holland, but what the hell’s the use of making a Dutch film that will never be shown ? Have you ever seen a Dutch film? Holland makes beautiful cinema, but nobody sees it. | That’s why I wanted to do it in America. Then came France, where we had the same problems, and finally, Germany. | said yes at that point, and I would have had an interesting cast — Liv Ullman and Gert Frobe — and the money was okay. I went to my lawyer in Paris to sign the contracts with the German producers ; but you know how lawyers are — he said he had doubts about the deal. He asked me if I would reconsider making the film elsewhere if the money was right, and I said | had no objections provided I got to make the film. Anyway, he went out of his office and left me there, and when he returned he had my Canadian producer, Claude Léger, with him. Claude just happened to be in Paris and that’s how this all started. It was just sheer coincidence. I mean, if I had gone to my lawyer's office one day Canada needs good stories...that’s the secret. before or one day after, I would not have met Claude Léger. It was an accident; and by another accident I was a Canadian and the whole thing just fit together. We made a deal in no time at all. Otherwise, the film would have been German today, and again, nobody would have seen it! But seriously, Germany is in the midst of gaining back its position, what with Fassbinder, Herzog and Wenders. Cinema Canada: You used a number of local actors in the film. Max Fischer: Yes, as many as I could: Yvon Dufour gave a beautiful performance ; Jean Gascon, you just can’t imagine how good he is. He has a scene with Brett in the confessional and it’s one of the greatest moments of the film. Gascon is unbelievable. And Guy L’Ecuyer, very, very good; and Isabel Majesse, she should be a big star some day.. Canada has some great actors in these people. Cinema Canada: And if the film is well distributed, maybe they'll all get their due. Max Fischer: | hope so. | think that Canada needs good stories — although Pm not necessarily talking about The Lucky Star, because maybe it’s a complete miss ; I don’t know, I have to wait. But that’s the secret. That was the secret of Frank Capra, and most other great filmmakers. Cinema Canada: Although I try to avoid reading synopses — because they can usually turn the greatest film ever into something that sounds too preposterous — what struck me about the synopsis of this film was that there was very little grey area. When you examine it in clumps, this boy’s development from a happy childhood through the devastation of war, to a cowboy fantasy, you say to yourself that at any moment it could turn into utter nonsense. As a result, it would seem that you will either end up with a good film, or a total miss. Is that a fair assessment ? Max Fischer : It’s a very fair assessment. Cinema Canada: Are you optimistic ? Max Fischer : Oh yes, very ; because the rushes are fantastic, the scenes are fantastic ; everything that has been edited up to now hasan incredible look to it. And, as in everything that I do, and have always done in my life, there is lots and lots of humor. I think that without humor you just can’t make it. In the works of great filmmakers there is always humor; not that I put myself in that echelon, but there is always a sense that they don’t take themselves too seriously. I never take myself seriously, and I always doubt what I am doing. Cinema Canada: What are your plans for the future ? Max Fischer : | have a television series I am thinking about and I am writing certain things now. I'd like to write and direct because it is very difficult to find a script. Although I had the facilities to do features for many years, one of the reasons | didn’t was the lack of good scripts. What’s the use of making something you don’t believe in. Since The Lucky Star I’ve been offered a few things. People have heard that I can direct, that I can work inside a schedule and inside a budget, and these are very important; but the scripts I’ve been offered are so bad, you can’t imagine. The trash that is written is just unbelievable. Cinema Canada: You’ve spoken at length about distribution problems, so how would you feel if your film was ready for release but there were no immediate takers ? Would you continue to try and get your film distributed as widely as possible, or is your work over when the film is finished ? Max Fischer: Well, my work is over when the film is finished, yes. I have other commitments. The problem is that I am weak in this situation. The financial side is, unfortunately, so different from my world that I am at a loss. Cinema Canada: Should those two worlds come together ? Max Fischer : There are certain brilliant people who are able to produce and direct. The two worlds are sometimes compatible, but not in my case. Cinema Canada: But will you not feel disappointed if the film that you’ve lived with for the last five or six years isn’t seen ? Max Fischer: Yes, very. Cinema Canada: Who would be the ideal audience for The Lucky Star ? Max Fischer : General, a total absolute audience. It’s a story that has, in principle, all the ingredients : excitement, suspense, humor, gentleness. Cinema Canada: How important is it to you to have a critical success ? Max Fischer : I would like both — commercial and critical. ve looked for that in everything’ve done. I have already made experimental and art films, and think I’ve gotten those out of my system. I know I can do them and | know I can bore the public to death! Cinema Canada: And please the critics ? Max Fischer: And please the critics. Now, I want to take off from that — and please the public. Oo THE LUCKY STAR d. Max Fischer asst. d. Pierre Magny sc. Max Fischer adapt./dial. Jack Rosenthal ph. Frank Tidy ed. Yves Langlois sd. Patrick Rousseau a.d. Michel Proulx cost. Jany Van Huber IL. p. Rod Steiger, Louise Fletcher, Lou Jacobi, Brett Marx exec.p. André Fleury p. Claude Léger assoc. p. Pieter Kroonenburg p. manager Matthew Vibert loc. man. Didier Hoffman unit pub. Denise Di Novi p.c. Caneuram Films Inc. pub. David Novek, Lucienne Appel for Berger & Assoc. Cinema Canada/19