19 / 99
get the differences in detail. Also in the way
the Russian mob has been represented in this
genre; there are exceptions of course, like
Eastern Promises
, that really capture that world
brilliantly.”
Additionally, Hillcoat’s on-set advisors on
Triple 9
included a real gang unit who worked
with the actors – they also appear in the film,
along with ex-Latino gang members. “We didn’t
get actual Russian-Israeli mobsters on screen,
though,” he notes.
It’s this attention to detail, verisimilitude
and genre reinvention that sets
Triple 9
apart
from the slicker and more generic urban crime-
thrillers.
“A lot of crime films these days seem very
artificial, and I miss the grit,” Hillcoat says.
“Films like
The French Connection
inspired me,
with its gritty realism, which
I think makes it a more
immersive experience.
And you get better
performances from the
actors when they are fully
immersed in the world
we’re creating.”
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INTERVIEW
CINEMA
CINEMA
Hillcoat says. “And in LA, I’ve seen a whole area
being shut down – with dozens of policemen
in the area for days on end – for a resolved
shooting that’s done and dusted.
“If we’d had more resources we really could
have shown how crazy it is, but fact outstrips
fiction.”
Has he also heard of criminals taking
advantage of the 999 response in a similar way
to the events depicted in the film?
“I’m not sure whether people do deliberately
use it as a diversion – maybe they will now that
we’ve flagged the idea,” he laughs.
In recent years the Russian mafia have
usurped the Italians as the go-to movie
mobsters, and Hillcoat reveals that this is very
much the reality in the world of organised crime,
too.
“All the different criminal factions keep
progressing and changing and the Italian mafia
were eclipsed by a greater force globally, and
the stakes keep rising,” he explains.
“There’s around 500,000 members now.
They don’t have the hierarchical triangle the
Italian mob followed, which makes them able to
navigate the world in a very different way. There
are rumours of up to 70 per cent of the Russian
economy linked to organised crime, which when
you think of Russia’s economy, eclipses the
Italian mafia dramatically.
“The Latino cartels do control drugs on the
streets of America,” he continues, “and the
interesting thing that has given these criminal
groups the edge is that they all come from
paramilitary backgrounds, which the Italian mafia
never had. It’s a well documented change in the
criminal landscape.”
The director adds that, “everything in the film,
believe it or not, is based on a lot of research”.
And if you’ve ever seen a John Hillcoat film –
like the aforementioned
Lawless, The Road
and
The Proposition
– you'll agree that the bleak
and gritty milieus he conjures are incredibly
authentic.
“I do spend a lot on time on research,” he
admits. “In this case the militarisation of the
police and these criminal groups – I wanted to
J
ohn Hillcoat loves
an ensemble cast,
and
Triple 9
’s is a belter
– Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody
Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Anthony
Mackie, and Kate Winslet as a
Russian mob boss. He also
enjoys casting against type
and taking actors out of
their comfort zones.
“It’s very exciting
for them as well,” the
director says. “I’ve never
seen anyone more excited
than Kate Winslet when she was
able to play a villain.
“Obviously she’s played
many complex and
interesting roles over the
years, and she’s a real
forceful presence. Villains
are such juicy roles,
so for an actress of her
calibre, she was like a kid in
a toy shop."
Triple 9
also features a number of
familiar faces from television
in supporting roles –
The
Walking Dead
’s Norman
Reedus,
Breaking Bad
’s
Aaron Paul, and
The
Wire
’s Michael Kenneth
Williams. Hillcoat believes
TV offers actors more risks
and creative challenges than film.
“The idea of a flawed character...
[TV is] celebrating shades of
grey as opposed to the
black and white world
of franchise.”
So is television a
medium he’d like to
explore in the future?
“I’m in the thick of
it,” he confirms. “I’ve got
something I’m talking to Guy
Pearce about. Yes, definitely
going down that path.”
•
Triple 9
is
in cinemas on
March 3