Highlights of Ryan Coogler and Elvis Mitchell (July 12, 2013)
A report filed by Go Into The Story development assistant Wendy Cohen:
On July 12th, following a screening of “Fruitvale Station” at the Arclight Hollywood, director Ryan Coogler participated in a special Q&A led by NPR commentator, film critic and journalist Elvis Mitchell. Below are some of the highlights from their conversation.
On Michael B. Jordan’s Transformation Into Oscar Grant
Jordan spent several weeks in the Bay Area getting acquainted with Oscar’s close friends and family. He also worked hard to incorporate Oscar’s mannerisms into his performance (Jordan, for example, had learned that Oscar had a tendency to stroke his chin, which he worked into his onscreen portrayal). Including these details in the final cut ended up surprising Grant’s family and friends with their unexpected realism.
On Guiding Michael B. Jordan’s Performance
Coogler, having grown up in the Bay Area and knowing the community so well served as a touchstone for Jordan (who, hailing from Newark, NJ) needed to absorb the larger background, dialect, and experience of Bay Area culture. The benefit of Coogler’s expertise allowed for the film’s incredibly accurate representation of the area’s everyday communication, relationships, and life.
On The Use of Time In The Film
The entire movie takes place in real-time, making it essentially a “twenty-four hour film.” Most of the scenes are also done in long takes with very little cutting. Coogler explains that he was drawn to this style of filmmaking because it was an effective way to create a sense of intimacy, drawing the audience into Oscar’s life and really putting them in his shoes. To Coogler, portraying this sense of intimacy was essential for the film to succeed. By translating the everyday news we hear about into the story of a real life, we are experiencing how issues like this happen to human beings.
On Films And Filmmakers He Admires
Many of the films and filmmakers Coogler admires also employ the same technique. A few of these include:
Elephant by Gus Van Sant
United 93 by Paul Greengrass
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days by Cristian Mungiu
La Haine by Mathieu Kassovitz
On The Sound Design And Music In The Film
Coogler acknowledges that there are many “quiet moments” that punctuate the movie and perhaps a subconscious emphasis on silence in the sound design, especially during the immediate moments after Oscar is shot and the subsequent scenes at Highland hospital where he later loses his life, which Coogler describes from his own experience as “one of the quietest places you can imagine.” Meanwhile, with regard to the music used in the film, Coogler focused heavily on the score and used the diagetic rap music that Oscar plays in the movie strategically. Interviewer Elvis Mitchell noted that one of the “cliches” in African American movies can be an excess of rap music. “Fruitvale Station,” however, blends both together to produce a distinctively rich soundtrack.
On How His Real-Life Experiences Translated To “Fruitvale Station”
Coogler in his own life has also been exposed to experiences very similar to those portrayed in the film, including waiting in a hospital for a friend and gun violence. Of course this only helped him moreso to bring Oscar’s story to life in a detailed, realistic way.
On The Collaborative Process Of Making The Film
Coogler, though facing the limitations of a 21 day shoot and using a single camera still found the process extremely creatively satisfying and collaborative. The diverse crew, which included producers in their early 20s to costume designers in their 70s made the filmmaking process focused, efficient, and purposeful.
On Getting Advice From Forest Whitaker
Forest Whitaker, one of the film’s producers, was in preparations for Lee Daniels’ upcoming film The Butler at the time of shooting but still came to the set regularly to mentor Coogler and offer his input. On the most important piece of advice Whitaker gave him while making the movie: “always make the best decision you can in the moment — and then move on.”
On Masculinity In Urban Culture
“The leading cause of death for African American males Oscar’s age” (and more specifically, recent statistics suggest all African American males ages 15–34) “is homicide.” That reality, Coogler astutely notes, can lead to a sense of dread, and the desire to tell the people you come into contact with every day that you love them, because of the fear you might not see them again. Moreover, Coogler continues, African American men Oscar’s age are at a point in their lives where they see themselves as being defined by their masculinity, yet in Oscar’s actual existence he’s constantly surrounded by women who are all affected by each decision he makes.
On The Cumbersome Task Of Trying To Condense Oscar’s Life Into A Single Day
Coogler also comments on the painful irony of Grant’s death on New Year’s Day as he was seeking to improve his life. Yet, surprisingly that day also represented a great deal about Oscar, the people in his life that mattered to him, his values and what he was striving for. Coogler admits that trying to pack Grant’s life into an entire day was daunting, but in some ways that day also revealed parts of who Oscar essentially was.
On The Film’s Reception At Cannes
When asked about the film’s premiere at Cannes, whose screening ended with a standing ovation, Coogler admits that the experience was “overwhelming.” Coogler had been to the festival previously, but for many of the cast, including Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer, this was their first time attending. Coogler continues, “it was raining at Cannes, and people were still clapping as we left the theater. Michael [B. Jordan] got into a his car to leave, and people started striking it as it pulled out. They were so emotional.”
“Fruitvale Station” is in select theaters now and will expand its limited release July 19th. You can buy tickets to the movie here.
Here is a two-minute video clip Wendy took of Coogler and Mitchell on stage:
Thanks to Wendy for attending the event, one of cultural significance given recent news. Declare Your Independence by going to see Fruitvale Station which is expanding after opening last weekend in 7 theaters with an astonishing $55,184 per theater average.