Far exceeding expectations with a worldwide gross that’s soon to pass $700 million, Warner Bros. will be releasing the space thriller Gravity on Blu-ray later this month (pre-order here) and for it, Alfonso Cuarón is still doing the press rounds. Thankfully, his latest outing is at Reddit, where he participated in a candid round of Ask Me Anything.
We’ve highlighted his best responses, which include his darker, alternate ending to the film, his outlook for the future of cinema, the filmmakers who produce his favorite long takes, why he never watches his finished films, some of his favorite films this year, and much, much more. One can see his complete AMA here, and some select quotes below.
On his dark alternate ending to Gravity:
We had an alternative ending in which after landing on Earth, Ryan will get back on her feet and as she’s walking away Matt Kovalski falls from the sky and crashes her to death. And then cut to black. Create scroll in silence.
On his outlook for the future of cinema:
There used to be only one paradigm: the experience of going to the theaters. Later on, that paradigm was dual: people would watch movies in the cinema and also on TV. Later on came home video and now we have all these different formats. There used to be only be visuals, then there came sound, and then color. Now we’re making the transition into the digital formats where everybody can have affordable systems in their homes. What I believe is that, because of the new ways of production and distribution, multiple paradigms are going to be created. They are going to co-exist. Each one of these paradigms is going to constantly evolve and go in many different directions. I think all of this is very exciting because it’s going to challenge our current conceptions of cinema in which the format of experience of film and/or the length are going to very diverse.
On scientific criticism of Gravity:
I’m very happy that scientists have taken time to attack or defend GRAVITY. We tried to be as plausible as we could in the frame of our fiction and we worked very hard in honoring the behavior of bodies in micro-gravity and no resistance. But, it’s a movie and that Sandra Bullock is not really an Astronaut in real life.
When he knows he’s finished a script:
When you finish the movie.
On why he never watches his finished films:
Once I finish a film I don’t ever see it again. As I have said many times before, as opposed to some of my friends that consider their films like their babies, for me my films are like ex-wives. I loved them so much, they loved me so much, I gave them so much, they gave me so much- but now we have parted ways.
The last movie he saw:
The last movie I saw in cinema was THE GREAT BEAUTY. I’m a huge fan of Paolo Sorrentino. I think he’s one of the most interesting filmmakers today.
On his favorite long takes and the best of last year:
I like Jankso‘s [sic] films and I also like the long takes in the Dardenne Brother‘s films. This year i think that Before Midnight offered the most beautiful one shot deals.
On Spike Jonze’s Her:
I absolutely love HER. I think it’s the best film about love that speaks directly to an age since ANNIE HALL. It’s a beautiful film that also explores questions about the nature of love and consciousness. But, as I told Spike, I’m torn between HER and BAD GRANDPA.
On the difference between the filmmaking industry in Mexico and Hollywood:
It’s an absolute different. In the US there’s a huge global industry called Hollywood while Mexico, as most of the countries of the world, they have smaller industries that they feed mostly the mexican market. That’s from the standpoint of industry. From the standpoint of cinema, Mexican filmmakers generally owe more to European cinema than to Hollywood filmmakers. I would love to eventually do another film in Spanish and in Mexico. I will definitely do so when the project calls me.
On the most important thing about studying film:
Thank you very much. I think some of the important things when you’re studying film is study film history and understand the evolution of the cinematic language. To have a frame of reference on how to develop you’re own language. But as in everything, the most important thing about studying film is being aware of the world around you and human experience.
On the only superhero movie he’d make:
Speedy Gonzales starring Jackie Chan as the mouse and the pussy cat would be Arnold Schwarzenegger.
On the great, overlooked Mexican directors:
I am in constant communication with Alejandro and Guillermo, they are great friends. But its important not to forget the two other Mexican directors Amat Escalante y Carlos Reygadas who have won the award for best director at the Cannes Film Festival in the past two years.
On how Children of Men got made:
Universal trusted me with the material and I’m very grateful to them because of that. The fact that I was coming out of Harry Potter didn’t hurt though. We were consciously avoiding the future and every single reference that is portrayed in the film was based upon photo journalism and news reports of the last 10 years. So, we were trying to portray the themes that are shaping our immediate future.
On his favorite scenes to shoot in Children of Men:
My favorite scene to shoot the ambush in the car and the final battle scene. But the biggest challenge of doing that film was to convey to the world the thematics that are shaping the first part of the 21st century. We never intended for it to be a science fiction film, but a look into those themes.
On digital cinema:
I think the digital formats have reached an amazing level of resolution and it’s definitely the future of cinema as all the tools are only as good as the creative people that uses them.
On how he met Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro González Iñárritu:
We met because we used to have competitive mariachi bands. Now, we constantly mess with each other’s work.
On Guillermo del Toro’s influence on Gravity:
Guillermo has been a huge supporter of the film and i owe the final result to him, he came in to the cutting room and made a huge difference and heightening the emotional jeopardy of the character.
On the one person he’d want to meet:
Buster Keaton.
On his love for Sharknado:
Last year I loved Sharknado and I can’t wait for the sequel.
Gravity is currently in re-release and the Blu-ray can be pre-ordered here.
What are your favorite responses from the director?