Jacques Audiard: “The film looks at people in a time of crisis”

Jacques Audiard presented his film De Rouille et d’os (Rust and Bone) at a press conference. Seated with him were the scriptwriter Thomas Bidegain and actors Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts who answered journalists’ questions. Here are some selected highlights.

Marion Cotillard’s quest to interpret the role of Stéphanie
When I read the script by Jacques and Thomas, I was blown away by the story. Generally, when I read a story, there is always great understanding about the character. I know who the person is. Yet with Stéphanie, I arrived at the end of the character and I did not know who she was. I spoke about it with Jacques and he told me that he didn’t know either and the prospect of us discovering this character together was very exciting.

Physical strength in the film, by Jacques Audiard

Matthias does not fit my criteria at all in men. I prefer short men and I surprised myself with this choice, this big boy with lots of muscles. This is what the film discusses, warped characters, at a time of crisis, when society turns to barbarism, where people eat from rubbish bins. It is in this sense that he has physical power. He doesn’t have the words but he has that. And in the end, he will probably be able to use words better.
 

Jacques Audiard explains the special effects used to make Marion Cotillard’s legs disappear
I cut them off! I couldn’t have made this film 10 years ago, it would have been too hard. Nowadays, you just need to put on some green stockings and then the green is erased, that’s it.

Marion Cotillard continues:
Most of the time, she is in her chair. After all, it is a question of imagination. You imagine that you have no legs and when I was standing, something cinematic needed to be found. There was Jacques too, who told us “we could imagine that she forgets and that she can get up by just forgetting that she has no legs.”

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