Richard Dreyfuss about film

Richard Dreyfuss recieved a Special Belgrade Victor award handed over by selector Mladen Đorđević

At the press conference he answered on a few questions:

Today, when you read the scripts and talk to producers, how do you accept to play in a film?

“I accept for money. And the role needs to be sexy romantic, but I didn’t have those in the last 25 years”.

What is the future of independent film?

“The future of film is in its past. Blockbusters such as Jaws and Star Wars reached out to a global audience and made a lot of money. However, blockbusters have run out of ideas. We must go back to what we had before that - being able to make a film about Kansas and pray to God we can impact people in Nigeria. That’s the key different, in the past we didn’t strive to please everyone, we just made films.”

Is the American Graffiti your landmark film?

“No, there were three key films - the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Jaws and the American Graffiti. Jaws had a greater influence on US film, because everybody’s afraid of sharks, but American Graffiti helped spread American culture. Film as an art form is like a virus and now everybody in the world wants to become a director and make films, instead of becoming a painter or sculptor.”

It seems that people today are predominantly watching films online, instead of going to movie theatres?

“You will never have great films like Laurence of Arabia made for the big screen again. Epic films are made for people to go to a dark theatre and watch them in the company of strangers, reflecting about and experiencing the human race, so that, in the end, they can go out as changed people”.

You have been announced in the role of Bernie Madoff in a television series?

“That story about an American Jew preying in his fellow American Jews needs to be told. On television, you are able to elongate the script, to change the ending. Both film and television has their advantages.”

How did winning an Oscar at 30 years of age affect your career?

“It was one of many great nights in my career, but it came too soon. It relieved some pressure of having to win an Oscar someday. But I made a lot of money betting with people that they wouldn’t remember who won the Oscar for best actor the previous year, and they didn’t. It’s only a moment and people don’t remember these things.”

Did you ever contemplate the possibility of becoming a director?

“No, I have no such ambitions. I once directed a short film and a theatre play and I was the director I had always hated. I am an actor, that’s what I do best. Good luck to my colleagues that have tried to become directors.”