Rendez-vous with Christopher McQuarrie & Tom Cruise © Joachim Tournebize / FDC
Rendez-vous with… Christopher McQuarrie
Over the course of an hour and a half, Christopher McQuarrie, director of the last four Mission: Impossible films and screenwriter of The Usual Suspects and Valkyrie, spoke about his unusual career path, his successes, and his failures. Thirty minutes in, a surprise guest showed up on stage: Tom Cruise, his most steadfast partner in cinema. Here are some highlights from this Rendez-vous with… Christopher McQuarrie, which captivated the audience at the Debussy theatre.
Christopher McQuarrie, on his career
My path is rather unusual. If we look at filmmakers from back in the day — Billy Wilder, David Lean, William Wyler — they got their start on the crew and, from there, climbed up and up to eventually find themselves seated in the director’s chair. These days, when a young director makes a small film, let’s say one that costs 5 million dollars to make, and it rakes in 50 million, the industry gets its claws into him, thinking: “If we give this person 200 million dollars, they’ll make us a billion.” Filmmakers are often not in the habit of working this way, and this approach can destroy them. That’s more or less what happened to me. I had to revise my ambitions downward and work on the crew, be a screenwriter. But I didn’t have any clue about these roles. If somebody called me looking for help, I immediately got up and went, and I learned a great deal being a co-pilot.
On being a screenwriter and a director
When I’m asked “What’s the difference between writing and directing?”, I usually say, “Writing is pushing a boulder up a mountain, directing is running down the mountain with the boulder after you.” The bigger the film, the heavier the boulder.
On the battle in the United States between indie films and mainstream movies
It’s vital to have this variety. It’s essential. One of the big problems with Hollywood, on the other hand, it’s that there’s this battle between the two industries. We shouldn’t be working to crush one another, but working together to support one another. We should work together with this in mind. Audiences should not shut out this genre or that genre. Look at streaming: I would really love to see more classics on Netflix. This way, people won’t think that a film, which I love, Pirates of the Caribbean, is the be-all and end-all. There are so many amazing films that really should be seen by younger generations.
Tom Cruise, on the feeling of fear
I don’t mind kind of encountering the unknown. I like the feeling [of fear]. It’s just an emotion for me. It’s something that is not paralyzing. I’ve always wanted an interesting, dynamic life, to learn new things. When you don’t yet know what something is, it can seem frightening. Me? I want to get to know it. This is how I’m able to grasp the stunts — as well as life in general. People can be paralyzed by having to make decisions. When you make a film, when you’re creating something, don’t ask for permission. Do it. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect because nothing ever is. You may as well make mistakes so that you can grow and come away stronger. To sum up my thoughts on fear: I’m like, “Oh, that’s exciting!” I like to feel the rush of adrenaline. I like to come face to face with new cultures, with new lands and landscapes. It’s what I wish everyone could experience.
