Isabelle Huppert: Be the Protagonist of Life
「"Seeming Normal Is a Form of Hypocrisy."」
Beneath the Surface, Lies the Complexity of Human Nature
Song:
Once you talked about your acting, you said you are formless. Like you don't think you have a certain face or body. Because you were talking about being seen or actually hiding yourself in acting. This is almost Chinese philosophy. You must have heard about Laozi and Taoism. So he said, "The greatest form has no shape, the greatest music has no sound."
Isabelle Huppert:
Beautiful. I'm going to study Taoism. Sometimes in acting, people tend to think that you have to express yourself more. In fact when you watch People in everyday situations, especially when they are alone, you can tell very little on faces. And sometimes the reactions are not so strong as they would be in fiction or in a film. So let's say less is more.
Song:
"Piano Teacher" is a very rare film for me. I think when it is allowed to have so many layers of humanity, it's great. If a film or a character or a society only has one dimension, it looks like everything is right.
Isabelle Huppert:
I mean fake...
Song:
Yeah it's fake. There's something deep inside could be wrong. These roles you played quite often have opposite elements at the same time, Fragile and tough at the same time, Innocent and guilty at the same time.
Isabelle Huppert:
That's what I mean exactly. It's interesting to really try to dig into a role. And it also says a lot about human complexity. I don't think I could have done these kinds of roles like way back years ago, even before I was born. Because as things went by, cinema has become less black and white, good and bad. It's more mixed now, which is good and interesting. Going by more cinema allowed us to dig into this kind of process.
"The woman I portray must be the center of the story."
Song:
You are coming from the country of Beauvoir and feminism. Through your time you have explored all these and you had a very deep going dialogue with Antoinette. So what does feminism mean to you?
Isabelle Huppert:
Antoinette Fouque, she's a great great feminist iconic woman. I was very close to her. She had a very open feminism. She wouldn't trap anybody into any definition. Sometimes I say to myself, I was always feminist without even knowing it. But from the moment I started doing movies, it was not really about making women triumphant or strong. No, it could be weak women, fragile women, but in the center. It was a matter not so much of what was the woman, but the matter of the place I would occupy in the film. Because that's how you really to have a complete focus and light on the character, not being a secondary character.
Song:
And all these women, they also like to initiate.
Isabelle Huppert:
No, but if you take a movie like "The Lacemaker". This is the perfect definition of a victim. She's a very dramatic character. But she's in the center. It's her story. Like the title of the film "Herstory". It's a very interesting title "Herstory", not "His-story".
Do What You Love, Be Open to the Unknown
Song:
These three films, "Piano Teacher", "Elle" and "Things to Come". I feel all these women have something in common. They like to control relationships with family, with lovers.
Isabelle Huppert:
Yes, including "Things to Come", She wants to take control of her sorrow in this difficult situation. She wants to take control of the best.
Song:
But at the same time, they would be kind of okay or even happy to lose a bit of control. They like to be a bit risky. You also kind of like to risk a bit. People say you like to have risky characters and try to lose a bit of control.
Isabelle Huppert:
The situation is very controlled (for me). Losing control will be "where am I ?" No, just to be open to the unknown and it's a very nice feeling.
Isabelle Huppert:
I was in Greece recently and I was doing another play. Because actually I'm touring three plays. You think I am busy, but I'm over busy, even busier than you think. I'm kidding.
Song:
You start all these, one of a kind, right? You're the greatest actress of our time. Why do you need to work so hard?
Isabelle Huppert:
I don't work hard. I just do things I like which is completely different. I know unfortunately, so many people work hard just to make a living. I am among the very privileged people. Of course, to make a living like everybody else, but just to do what I love doing.
