Teplitzky reveals It's not easy to recreate an icon

It's not easy to recreate an icon on screen, especially when the character happens to be as temperamental and whimsical as Winston Churchill, who in his latter years underwent severe depression and dissent brought on by advancing age.

"In many ways, the Churchill I have depicted (in Churchill the movie) is shown as a vulnerable person suffering from depression. We think we know a lot about these great men in history, but we know little about their personal lives. (That's why) I wanted make a film about the icon - I want people to see his human side," said Jonathan Teplitzky, director of Churchill, out in the UAE on June 8.

This is not the first time that Australian director, writer and producer has got a war on his hands again, having previously directed the critically acclaimed World War II epic The Railway Man (2013). This time around, he spins his story on one of Britain's great icons, Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

Shot in Scotland, Churchill is all about the 48 hours leading up to the D-Day (the historical Normandy landings in 1944). Veteran British actor Brian Cox takes up the challenge to portray Churchill at a time when the legend clashed with his generals, and allies over D-Day operations, while battling depression and old age. Miranda Richardson plays his wife Clementine (Clemmie), while John Slattery plays the US General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Teplitzky, is pleased with the way the movie has turned out so far and he is all praise for his lead stars. "Brian (Cox) and Miranda (Richardson) are one of Britain's greatest actors, it was incredible working with them," Jonathan tells us.

D-Day landing was an joint operation conducted by the Allied forces in Normandy that began the liberation of northern Europe from Hitler's Nazi control in 1944. The event is remembered as one of the most significant moments in history.

"While so much has been written about him (Churchill). People already know so much about him. We've seen movies and documentaries on the legend. We learn about him in school, yet people know little about his human side. I felt it was important to tell that story. I wanted to show his vulnerabilities and loss of control during the latter part of his life. That's what attracted me to the story," Jonathan added.

In a tete-a-tete with City Times, Teplitzky tells us why he decided to bring the British icon back to the big screen. Excerpts from the interview.

What got you interested in Churchill?
Actually, the first draft was already done when I was asked to come onboard the film. Someone showed it to me and I got interested in it. I found the nature of the story and the script unusual. You often read about great people in history, about their achievements and greatness, but what about their human side? My movie on Churchill is set in a very short time frame, a short phase in his life.

Tell us a bit about the story. Which period of Churchill's life have you depicted here?
The story is set at a time when Churchill was getting old and his powers were on the decline. It's four years since the London Blitz (air raids by German over Britain in 1940 and 1941, during the WWII), the American's had already joined World War II and there were other people running the war. I wanted to show Churchill at a time when he was replaying the regret, guilt and some of the shame he had from his earlier operations (in Gallipoli) in which many lives were lost. He was in charge of that operation. It played very heavily on him and caused a breakdown which spiraled into his state of mind and his psyche. He was not the portrait or picture of the Churchill we've seen in so many films and learnt in schools. I found that alternate viewpoint in his life very interesting.

And what was the bit about the icon that interested you most?
One of the big things I have shown in the film is Churchill's regret over Gallipoli in World War I. He was one of the main planners and leaders of that operation. As an Australian, Gallipoli is a big thing for us, it's part of our folklore and identity. So I thought it was interesting for me to show the man who shouldered a lot the blame for the Gallipoli disaster and regretted the loss of lives in that war campaign, which led him to get worried about the D-Day operations in World War II. Churchill is shown as someone who opposed the Normandy landings because he thought it would result in a similar disaster and loss of lives as his earlier operation. That's what interested me!

So what is your story seeking to resolve?
One of the big questions Clemmie asks Churchill in the film is, 'What are you going to do. You need to stand up and find a relevance to yourself. But just because the world's changed doesn't mean you don't have one. You have to do what you need to do'. And Churchill came back from a very vulnerable, struggling place to see Britain through the last year of the war. As Clemmie advices her husband in the film, 'It doesn't matter whatever the outcome of D-Day is - whether it's a few people or 20,000 people get killed, it's your job to let the parents, sons and daughters realise that not one person died in vain.' That's the key question the story seeks to addresses.

This is your second war-themed film (after Railway Man). Are you a fan of war themes?
Not really. You know, I have also made four other films that have nothing to do with war. What attracts me is interesting and fascinating stories. Both (Railway Man and Churchill) the stories are brilliant. I am more attracted to the themes. In Churchill, it's about a fascinating period in his life. It's about what it is to get old. You know it's an universal thing! Everyone gets old someday. It's about what happens when you decline in power and authority. The world is run by younger people. Things change, it's about how you adapt to that.

Did winning the BAFTA make any difference to you or your career?
Well, all I can say is making movies gives you the most confidence. The more you make or work , the more you understand what you're doing and the better you get at it Every movie is like learning again how to do it and getting better at it, and that's the best thing. Awards are nice, recognition is nice, all those things are fantastic but it's work that's the most important thing and in the end, that's what helps you get better and gain more confidence, and to be challenged more and more!

What are the challenges you faced recreating a story set in 1944?
Well! It's always tricky to recreate a period. For one, it's expensive, then you need to find (appropriate backdrops) - you know we live in a time when everything has undergone so much change, so we had to recreate little bits you know - his underground operations room and things like that. It's also being about being able to have the resources to recreate all this. Finding a way to depict Churchill in that era was a huge challenge. We had to make the best of the resources we had at hand. We had to create a world that depicted the times which is why we don't have huge sweeping shots of London in the movie - we didn't have the resources to do that. So we had to pick (our shots) very carefully. The little things we were going to recreate were done in a very realistic way.

What locations did you use to recreate the World War II era?
Most of the movie was shot in Scotland. We chose iconic locations, like buildings and spots that could represent and take you back to the World War II era.

We heard you even got some grants from Scotland to shoot Churchill there?
You know, every country has a film department and these organisations give some money and fund films because when you shoot a film in a place you bring in a lot of opportunities and employment that is good for the economy of that territory. If you decide to shoot your film in Scotland, you will qualify to receive some funding from Creative Scotland (Scottish agency for the arts, screen and creative industries) that will help you set up your production there.

How was it working with Brian Cox?
It was great. We are talking here about two of Britain's finest actors. You know Brian completely transformed himself to Churchill. He did a lot of preparation for the role. I remember we used to talk a lot about the role, and rehearsed his parts a lot (to get into the skin of his character). When you see an actor transform himself into a character like this, you know how much work and preparation he has done. How much study and research he has put into his character. I feel Brian found a way to create a character that we know very well, but created one that was exciting and surprising!

And what about Miranda Richardson?
With Miranda, everyone knows what a wonderful actress she is. Her role as Clemmie (Churchill's wife Clementine) is all about the relationship the couple shared. It's about her playing the Prime Minister's wife as well as having her a life of her own. She's shown as a person very forthright in her opinions. Miranda was able to create Clemmie in a very meaningful, but emotional way. She's a very powerful actress.

What's does Churchill have for millennials?
Well I think a lot of the millenials would've studied Churchill in school, they will certainly know who he is. From my experience, I can say that is it doesn't matter what age you are you always look for great performances, you look for films that are about something, you look for films that have a dramatic core and tension to them. I think that it doesn't just have to be a direct interest of millenials or any other group of people. It's like asking, if you're an 80-year-old grandmother would you like to watch Toy Story? It's just a really fantastic movie that I think can embrace any age, and I think millenials will also respond accordingly. Very often, we don't give people enough credit for wanting to watch or engage with things that are serious, that are about something that are big themed. You may think that cinema has to be cartoonish in many respects to attract younger audiences, but I don't think that's the case. I think audiences want films about themes and topics and stories that take them on a journey, and I think Churchill does that.

Jonathan we heard you're good in the kitchen. So will you be making a movie on a Michelin starred chef soon?
Well you know, I've already made a movie on a chef. It's called Burning Man. I made that about 4-5 years back, but I would definitely love to make a movie about a chef some time soon, because I really like that world. I don't know if I'm a good chef, but I really like cooking. You know I belong to a family of chefs and I love the culinary world. Being a chef is like going to a war in many ways, and I think it's a great dramatic place to base a movie so I'd love to make another movie. It's just finding a character that works for a story like that.

Why not base your story on someone perhaps as dynamic and foul-mouthed as Gordon Ramsay. It'll be an interesting watch?
(laughs) Yeah, absolutely! I would love to have a character like him in my film. Have a character who is loud, obnoxious and outspoken like him. It's great and it'll be funny!

Jonathan what's next for you?
Well I'm actually in Queensland, Australia now making a film titled Mr. Cranky. It's a crime comedy, about a gangster who's life gets all out of control and he has to fight back as well as parent his young step-daughter. Guy Pierce has been slated to play the lead. We're just prepping that now, and hopefully we'll be shooting that later in July, and then I've got a couple of other films that are coming up at the end of this year or early next year.

Source: Khaleej Times