With the opportunity of the second adaptation of Sleuth,the great actor talks about his role,his relationship with Jude Law and about the beginning of his career.
-I wonder,Sir Caine,how it is to adapt a play to the cinema;
Logical question,which many people do it.It is difficult but when you accomplish that you see that you have all the good elements of the play in a movie.You should pay a lot of attention to succeed in having the pros of the play.And Sleuth does that.In other words it is a play with quick movement,power and soul of a movie.The play does not have by itself the movement that a movie can have.At first,it crossed my mind,I must confess,that Harold wasn’t ok (laughs).
-What made you decide to do the remake;
I disagree with the term remake.I don’t think that the movie is a remake.I would not do a remake of a movie in which Joseph L. Mankiewicz had done a great job.I think that what we did is a movie in an evolved screenplay by Harold Pinter,who never saw neither the previous movie nor the play.The movie is based in a play by Anthony Schaffer,which was made into a movie in 1970,directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and in which i had the luck to be a protagonist.I know Pinter for 50 years,when we were both actors and I appraise him.His name at the time was David Barron.He decided later to write plays with his real name.His first play was called “the room”.When Jude brought me the text,i decided to do it without reading it,because I trusted Pinter.I read later the screenplay and I loved it.So,i am here now.
-What differences you see between the two movies?
Firstly,all these that have to do with technology.Cellphones,computers…We didn’t have them in 1972.However,it is not only them.Filming for the first movie took 16 weeks.This time only 4.Furthermore,this movie is one hour shorter than the other.I have not seen the other movie for 30 years and I have forgotten some things.Pinter,as I said before,never saw it and that is the whole point.
-You believe that actors become more comfortable with experience?
Of course.After all,it is logical.I do a movie today,having played in another 85.I am more sure.
-Judi Dench has said that in time she became less and less sure…
Really;I think that you become more comfortable,not completely comfortable.You’ll never say I’m perfect in something.You’ll always have a stress,a nervousness,like doing it for the first time.If you don’t have there’s probably a problem.I watch sometimes these talent shows where many participants state “I am the best”,”I am the new Whitney Houston”.I am surprised,because they sing without soul,without nerve and of course they are useless.To return to the movie,I think that me and Jude are comfortable as much as we can,because none of us has not done rehearsals for a movie for three weeks.On the other hand,we knew exactly what to do.I work with an actor who is as good as i am-he is also a producer-and of course with a very good director(Kenneth Branagh),who knows what he’s doing.
-Which are your similarities with Jude Law,as men and as actors?
There is no similarity.His approach is totally different.He is darker.After all we don’t have the same background.I come from a working class with different experiences.
Jude’s parents were teachers.I come from a tough environment.I am a big fan of him
from”Mr.Ripley”.I watch English actors and I think he is very good..We’re friends too.
We have both done theatre,we have the experience of the stage actor.Theater educates,no matter how we do it.
-You’re also friends.What do you like doing together?
We love food and we go out frequently at night to eat.We talk,we make fun,we comment on various things.However,basically,we have nothing in common.
I live in the coutryside,away from the lights of publicity,and with other habits.
I am also a hundred years older(laughs).However,we enjoy a lot the company of each other.
-Many of your colleagues have said that they became actors to have women…Do you agree?
Absolutely.That is exactly why I became an actor.I began when I was 14.I entered an amateur theatre school,because all the beautiful girls were there.I was in the basketball team and I remember,when I returned from the field,I was passing outside the door of that school and I saw that all the beautiful girls were in there.And i ask myself:”What the hell I was doing in the field playing basketball;”A lady saw me and opened the door.She says to me:”Come,because we don’t have much men”.You know,at that time a lot of men did not participate in these in order not to be characterized..you can imagine.I got in and I never regretted it.
-Closing the interview,I would like to ask you how is it,the erotic atmosphere between two men..
Threatening.That is why i also wear glasses.I have very strange eyes(laughs).In school they called them “snake eyes”.
Source:Proto Thema ,original text in greek
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