Kenneth Branagh – renowned thespian and director - turns from Shakespeare to Marvel superheroes with the blockbuster movie Thor. Ken talks to Daily Info about creating a comic book world and leaving his own comfort zone.
Did you know of the Thor comic books? And what was your approach to the film?
Yes, as a kid I remember seeing this very colourful, very dynamic character. I tried to use some of the framing from the comics in the movie. My approach was threefold. Definitely to be on contemporary Earth. To bring humour to the story. And to create – and cast - characters with detail. To be as real as we could within a comic book reality.
Some expressed surprise that you were directing Thor. Were you surprised too?
It was a great surprise to be considered. And to do something I’d never done before - spend a couple of years in Hollywood. It was a great adventure. You’ll not be surprised that some of the story elements interested me – big problems in royal families have been there in the rest of the work I’ve done. So I was in some very familiar territory, with great talent. And I was in unfamiliar territory, way outside my comfort zone with the great mystery of visual effects, CGI, 3D, being part of the Marvel film universe.
Did you feel any pressure from the Marvel fans and how they view the character?
Yes, you feel some pressure. You know you can’t please everyone but you hope you can entertain everyone. To have that many people interested in what you’re doing is an absolute thrill! I’ve had to promote films where that hasn’t been the case. But if we listened to every passionate fan about how to make the film, there’d have been a thousand different films.
You did go to a comic convention though?
I went to Comic-Con in San Diego – my first experience of a comic book convention. A lot of people reminded me of what I was like at sixteen, travelling to Stratford, collecting copies of the magazine Plays and Players. I was obsessive, fanatical. So none of the intensity threw me. You can spend a long time talking to the cognoscenti about helmet length, what powers it has. But honestly we wanted this film to be open to people who didn’t know the Marvel universe
Did you seek the advice of any other superhero movie directors?
I did speak to Jon Favreau, director of Iron Man. And to Robert Downey who’s a very good friend. And to Joss Whedon, writer-director of The Avengers. But the particularities of each film are so distinct. Jon said, though, that once you’ve done one of these huge movies, it’s difficult to go back to a little one. We’ll see if that’s true.
The Avengers film comes out this summer and features your Thor character. Was there any pressure to conform your story to that one?
I kept my head down and concentrated on Thor. We knew Captain America and The Avengers were coming up. And I saw a place name in one scene had changed and asked the producers why and they explained, subtly, what it all meant for future stories.
Thor is in 3D, but you didn’t shoot it that way. Why’s that?
There were two reasons not to shoot it in 3D but to render it that way afterwards. Firstly to have more time on set. It’s a challenge – certainly for me – working out the maths of the parallax, retinal rivalry and depth curves. We didn’t want to give people a headache either. We were able to smooth out the depth curve afterwards and select the best effects for the story. It was definitely a learning process.
Why do you think comic book movies have taken off so much? Because technology makes it possible now?
Technology is such that it’s possible to create spectacular, larger than life worlds in a distinct way for these tent-pole movies. And the word ‘comic’ doesn’t mean easy, simple or simplistic. It’s often connected to fiendishly clever plotting and writing, allied with exciting visual artistry. I think all these things explain the rise of the comic book movie.
Why does Norse mythology offer such dramatic possibilities?
Part of the Norse myths and what humans like about them is to see human qualities reflected in gods. A fascination with the mighty and the powerful. They’re privileged. That ought to make them happy, shouldn’t it? Something to aspire to. But often it doesn’t. So in the heightened circumstances where mistakes cost lives, countries change hands or worlds explode because of their love affairs, their rivalries are a cathartic way to understand some of our own.
The film’s also quite funny – how did you approach the humour in the film?
It was crucial there was a lightness of tone. We wanted the film and the characters to have a twinkle in their eye. It was a delicate thing to do. Gods among men produces a dramatic and a comic tension. The comedy became a way of balancing these different tones. The clash between privileged princes of Asgard and indifferent waitresses in New Mexican diners.
So how do you manage your acting and your directing careers?
I’ve tried to follow my instinct – what will make me feel passionate and engage me. It’s not about “Right, I’ll act then I’ll direct”, it’s about where does my artistic instinct take me. As an actor, it’s a great thrill watching how other people do it, like on this film. I’ve learned from these guys -
Anthony Hopkins, Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston (who you worked with on Wallander).
They were so generous, allowing me any number of takes. Some actors come in and say ‘This is what I’m going to do. I’ll do that bit quiet, this bit loud. I’ve got two tricks and you’ll see them both by lunchtime.” Some actors think they’ve got it wrong if you do more than one take. But the glory of film is that if you can be great for point-two-five of a second, it’s in, that look is in the film! In the editing room your heart just leaps.
