The “favourite” movie Willem Dafoe wanted to remake
For film fans all over the world, Willem Dafoe is among the first names that pop into one’s mind when the subject of acting versatility is brought up. Having collaborated with the likes of Paul Schrader, Lars von Trier and Wes Anderson, Dafoe’s resumé is stacked with interesting projects and numerous accolades for his incredible performances across the decades.
Following his brilliant work in Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse, Dafoe recently appeared in one of the standout releases of 2023: Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things. Having garnered multiple nominations for this year’s edition of the Oscars, Poor Things has already been cited as a frontrunner for major categories like ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Actress’.
During an invitation to the Criterion Closet, Dafoe opened up about some of the greatest cinematic experiences that have shaped his journey as an artist. Ranging from Andrei Tarkovsky’s Mirror to Michael Haneke’s The Piano Teacher, Dafoe’s selections are simply perfect. However, some of those movies have pretty personal associations for the actor, who often uses them as inspiration for his own career decisions and choices.
While talking about Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, he said: “When I think I’m not right for a role because I am not enough like the character, I always think of Burt Lancaster in The Leopard. I mean, this Hollywood guy that I’m thinking from The Swimmer and from movies like, ‘Indian wrestling, you like it?’ Like that kinda thing? He’s gonna be an elegant Sicilian gentleman? I don’t think so, but you know what? It worked fantastically. So, when you don’t think you’re right for something, you actually may be very right for it, or you might be able to find a way to get there, which is cool.”
Dafoe also named the Japanese classic he loved so much that he wanted to remake it, but it never happened: “My eye goes to one of my favourite films right away, and I’ll take it. Onibaba, a very, very special film. In fact, I wanted to remake it, and I even got the rights for a while, but I couldn’t find a way to do it because it’s so specific to its time, and I felt like any time I tried to put a spin on it, I ruined the source material. So I couldn’t do that.”
Directed by the pioneering Kaneto Shindō, Onibaba follows the actions of two women in medieval Japan who kill soldiers in order to ensure their own survival. One of the finest cinematic achievements to emerge from the country, the 1964 masterpiece is essential viewing for all students of the medium.
Watch the full interview below.
