From director Steven Soderbergh, BLACK BAG is a gripping spy drama about legendary intelligence agents George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and his beloved wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). When she is suspected of betraying the nation, George faces the ultimate test – loyalty to his marriage or his country.
As this new spy-thriller releases in cinemas on March 13, Nick L’Barrow spoke with film’s cast, including Michael Fassbender, Naomie Harris, Rege-Jean Page, and Marisa Abela, about working with such a hands-on director in Soderbergh, and whether or not the cast believe they would make good spies!
Nick: Steven Soderbergh is a visual master. His ability to have a film so engrained within its genre but still have the unique sensibilities of his filmmaking style, is amazing. And it’s widely known that he is very hand on with the camera when directing. So, I’m curious to know, as actors, how has your relationship with the camera evolved after working with Steven?
Michael Fassbender: It’s interesting to see the angles that he uses, or where he wants to put the camera. He has this ability to sort of improvise or adapt, you know, from years of experience.
In terms of working for the camera, I find I always like to acknowledge that it’s there, and you form a relationship with the camera, because that is the audience. So, I think when you have a chemistry with the person behind the camera – and in this case, it was our director, so that was cool. But I always try and find that relationship with the camera operator, because you’re going to do that sort of dance together.
Marisa Abela: I mean, I’d never worked in the way where a director was operating the camera at the same time. And I think it changes your relationship with the camera in that you’re not playing for someone that’s not in the room with you. You’re not thinking about what someone is seeing on screen. It’s almost like Steven was kind of another actor in the space. Another character in the room. So, it kind of feels as much like a play as it can, because you’re playing the space between you, the camera, and the other actors. I think it makes it much more intimate, I guess.
Naomie Harris: What I found so surprising about him [Steven Soderbergh] was that he wears so many different hats. He will obviously be the director, but he’s also very involved with the lighting, and then he’s operating the camera. And then mostly our days would finish around four o’clock in the afternoon, because he wants to go off an edit to see if there’s any holes, or what have you, in the scene. By the time we’d finished shooting, he had a first edit for the entire film, which I’d never heard of before.
He’s such an incredible director because he really trusts his actors, and he really, genuinely cares and wants to get to know you. He took each of us out for lunch and dinner and spent time with me. We spoke for two hours, and he wasn’t even speaking about the script. He just wanted to get to know you as a person, so he can help you give the best performance. He’s a great human being, as well as a great director.
Rege-Jean Page: I found you get a very direct relationship with the camera, because often Steven is right there, like in those dinner table scenes where it’s the six of us playing this verbal and intellectual tennis match with each other, right? And he’s literally in the middle of it all with the camera. So, it’s very intimate in that way with a director. It’s a direct interplay with him, because you feel what a sharp eye, he has for catching performances. If something unintended happens, or unusual, or something new, he’ll plan to find that again and better frame it. He has such a bag of tools to draw on that there’s very little you can do to surprise him, but that also frees you up as a performer massively.
Nick: I feel like it’s not a stretch to say that intelligence agents are actors. They have to prepare characters and personalities in order to do their job. So, I’m curious to know – based on your own skill sets and how your meticulously prepare for roles – do you think you would make a good secret agent?
Naomie Harris: Well, I hate to say this – [laughs]. I was training with an undercover agent, and he did say that I would make a great spy. He said that because I have the ability to make people say more than they intended to say, and that’s one of the first skills needed. So, there is an opening for me there?
Rege-Jean Page: Weirdly enough, I seen the link between actors and spies a little differently, because I think spies lie for a living and repress themselves, whereas actors tell the truth for a living!
I think when you’re given a piece of material, your entire job is to get out of the way of it and reveal the truth of the characters and reveal the truth of that moment. And so, you’re kind of being vulnerable, as opposed to hiding yourself and manipulating an audience. It’s much more opening yourself so you can find the truth. So, I don’t think actors are very good liars!
Michael Fassbender: I think I would make a terrible spy! But I do think the ability to compartmentalise is probably a good one to have. I can do that to some respect. I’m also only good at doing one thing. I’m not very good at multitasking, and I’m not sure if spies need to do that, but I guess they do. Or even just being able to think clearly in very stressful scenarios.
Marisa Abela: I don’t know how true it is that spies actually don’t tell anyone what it is they do, but I can’t imagine lying to me partner, or my mum, or my brother. Like, just not telling anyone what I do for a living would be completely bizarre! I don’t think I could do that!
Nick: The dialogue and character work in David Koepp’s script is so intricate and deliberate. Was there a scene or perhaps a line of dialogue where you felt like you really understood and got a grip on your character?
Michael Fassbender: I don’t think I’ve ever felt that. I think I operate from a position of doubt all the time, and that’s just sort of being a constant thing. There are moments where I think, “I’ve nailed that”. But those moments are fleeting and they’re ones I aspire to get towards, but I do operate from a position of doubt.
Marisa Abela: I guess because Clarissa doesn’t really exist until whoever plays her, plays her. And at that point she becomes whatever that person has decided they are. And that’s the great thing about what we do, I guess. The first moment that you fully understand who a person is, is when you sit across from the other people that you’re working with, and because of how they’re deciding to play they’re character, you figure out more who your person is.
Rege-Jean Page: Throughout the cast, everyone was kind of in awe of how well written this movie was to begin with. And so, you’re very reticent to adapt that in any way, because there are already enough subtleties within the way it’s written, that you can play every line 10 different ways and still come out with something incredibly rich!
Naomie Harris: It’s so rare, I have to tell you, to get a script like this. It’s incredible and I was so excited to be a part of it, because to get so many layered characters that have so much depth, because it’s a true ensemble piece. Everyone has their moment, everybody has their story, and their different agenda.
Thank you to the cast of Black Bag for their time, and to Universal Pictures for organising the interview. Black Bag is in cinemas March 13.
