The filmmaker Jenna Ortega would “die” to work with: “One of my favourite directors ever”
Jenna Ortega is one of the most captivating yet conflicting performers working today, with an indisputably excellent taste in film, yet somehow ends up in some of the most egregious projects being made.
Who knows whether Ortega needs a new agent or has a career strategy that we cannot comprehend, but the actor is steadily rising through the Hollywood ranks through all kinds of cinematically unfathomable stories.
From her role in Miller’s Girl to Death of a Unicorn and Winter Spring Summer Fall, Ortega has recently been making the rounds with each top studio in the business, with her career taking off after her lead role in Tim Burton’s Wednesday. The show had a record-breaking number of viewers for Netflix, with Ortega exploding to new heights as the wacky eldest daughter of the Addams family.
But there was one moment in particular that seemed to strike a chord with audiences, with an infamous dance scene that Ortega revealed she modelled after the final sequence to Beau Travail, sharing her undying love for Claire Denis and desire to work with the beloved French director.
Denis is one of the most influential directors of the 21st century, creating masterpieces like High Life, US Go Home and Beau Travail, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time.
However, perhaps more famous than the film itself is the ending, with Denis Lavant’s character dancing alone in a nightclub to Rhythm of the Night. It’s a haunting and exhilarating sequence, with his character finally letting go and embracing his humanity after a lifetime of repression.
This sequence was especially important to Ortega, describing it as the inspiration behind her own work and driving force behind her desire to work with Denis herself. When asked if she would ever work with Denis, Ortega said, “I would die. I talked to Reza [Fahim] about working with Claire Denis a million times. She’s one of my favorite directors ever. I remember showing Tim [Burton] the finale, which is probably the best ending [to a film] I’ve ever seen.
“I showed that to him, and I think he had a heart attack, but he still chose to trust me and let me do what I needed to do. I just love the way that Denis Lavant took breaks in between these random outbursts. So that’s kind of why, in that sequence, I am moving around the room and taking these breaks, because I learned that I could do that so well”.
There is nothing as simultaneously devastating and thrilling as the ending to Beau Travail, and one that makes it clear to see why Ortega would be so keen to work with her. Ortega has described everyone from Wim Wenders to Tim Burton as being huge inspirations, with the actor being rumoured to have many more A-list directors on her list after an upcoming collaboration with the controversial David O’Russell, also acting alongside the legendary Robert De Niro.
While these people might be in her near future, perhaps Denis is on her horizon, and there is no doubt that the pair would be a match made in heaven.
