Ars Technica: What drew you to this particular story, which is almost ananti-Marvel version of Thor? It's amuch more dark origin story, driven by tragedy.
André Øvredal:There is no way to compete with Marvel or any of these big blockbuster movies. So to do the opposite was always the thing. I just wanted to tell a story in the Northern mythology landscape that wasn't the obvious one, that was something slightly different. To create a story about a modern-day ancestor to that world felt like something intriguing. And I love the idea of just starting somewhere you don't understand: create a mystery, to try to open that mystery up as the first act proceeds, and eventually fully reveal more of what this really is about. I love movies that do that myself. So just trying to do what I love.I wanted to make a very intimate character story, a very small movie, but one that is entertaining and fun and exciting as well.
Nat Wolff stars as Eric, a young American seeking his family roots in Norway—only to find himself changing and unable to control his newfound powers.
Saban Films
Nat Wolff stars as Eric, a young American seeking his family roots in Norway—only to find himself changing and unable to control his newfound powers. Saban Films
Christine (Iben Arkelie) is a young psychologist who tries to help Eric. Saban Films
A neat trick—until things get out of control.
Saban Films
A neat trick—until things get out of control. Saban Films
Christine (Iben Arkelie) is a young psychologist who tries to help Eric. Saban Films
A neat trick—until things get out of control. Saban Films
Ars: There’s a certain minimalist restraint to the film, and you don’t rely on flashbacks to graduallyreveal the underlyingmystery,which seemslike an unusual choice.
Øvredal:I think unless the movie is structured for flashbacks—which some movies are and they're great, from Citizen Kane to Goodfellas, which works brilliantly—throwing in flashbacks to explain something is the worst kind of storytelling I know. I hate it. And I like minimalistic visual storytelling where the images tell the story, and you juxtapose things and you let the audience put things together—or not even put them together. Sometimes they don't have the information they need. It becomes something that they're teased with for a while. In Mortal, there isn't a word spoken in the first 10 to 12 minutes of the movie. I've seen movies do that, and I'm very fascinated with how that works, and I was trying to do something similar.
Ars: Naturally,you’ve got all that gorgeous Norwegianscenery, but I was impressed with how you extended the minimalist feel to the special effects—ionized air, levitating water drops,and of course, quite a bit of lightning. It gives the film averydistinctive look.
Øvredal:I wanted the film to look elegant and to have two very distinct points of view. One is the large scale, where sometimes we'd use as wide shots and lenses as we possibly could to get distance and to put everything in context. And then I wanted to have a very macro view on the world, to be very intimate, close to hands and eyes and ears—to really feel the texture of the world. That lends itself to this kind of closeness with nature and also [to] an intimate character movie, obviously.
Ars: I grew up reading mythology, and the Norse mythswere among myfavorites. What is it about these stories that resonates so powerfully that we’re driven to reinvent them?
Øvredal:I think that the mythology is weird. The stories don't really connect that well. But the characters are amazing, and the character relationships are intriguing. I think that's first and foremost: all those wonderful characters exist in this world. They're iconic and unique. Thor, for example, is a character who has different facets. He's an angry god, he has a temper, but he's also a protector of mankind. That's how we are as human beings. We have many sides to ourselves. I think that's the stuff that intrigues us.
Ars: Without giving anything away,you’ve opted for quite an ambiguous, open ending. What was your thinking behind thatdecision?
Øvredal:I always saw this as the beginning of a story, and I wanted to really leave it as a beginning. I also wanted the ending to be a dramatic, huge twist on everything you've seen. To go out with a genuine bang was to me a huge attraction, and also to dare end the movie where you don't expect it. I personally love when movies do that. Some people don't, but I do.
Ars: How does Mortal fitwithin the broadercontext of your work? You seem to move quiteeasily between making European films and Hollywood films.
Øvredal: I think the Norwegian movies are a little bit more oddball. The American movies are a little bit more solid stories maybe, and the Norwegian movies are kind of crazier in some way. I think that just goes with what the culture expects. American storytelling is very plot driven. It's very character driven. While maybe European movies are a little bit more atmospheric and not so focused. That probably is the difference that shows up in somebody's work who's split between the two worlds.I love American storytelling. It's what I grew up with. It's what made me fall in love with movies, not European filmmaking. So all I can do is maybe add a little bit of flair to my American movies.
Mortal is currently available via video on demand and in select theaters in English and Norwegian, with English subtitles.