Every Auteur has his signature visual fetish. For Alfred Hitchcock it is women in pieces, for Martin Scorsese it is the omnipotent God’s-eye-view of the tracking shot and for Roman Polanski it is the domestic space made wild. So, when development began on an adaptation of Yasmina Reza’s award winning play, God of Carnage, it only made sense for Polanski to take the helm. Carnage, which stars Christoph Waltz, Kate Winselt, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly, is a brutally funny and subtly disturbing film set entirely within the confines of a slightly bougie New York apartment, detailing the sublimated rage, self-righteousness and self-loathing that come to the surface when two sets of parents who come together to discuss a minor fistfight between their sons.

Recently, I sat down with Oscar Winner Christoph Waltz to discuss his role in the film and his approach to acting. During the interview, Waltz eloquently explained the differences between stage and screen acting, finding truth in his character and the faulty logic of always believing that you are the hero in your own story.  Hit the jump to watch.

Christoph Waltz

  • :00 – 1:25 Waltz explains that stage and screen acting carry the same core for him.
  • 1:26 – 2:00 Waltz explains his dislike with the tendency of modern actors to put form before function.
  • 2:01 – 3:46 Waltz explains why it is not necessary to agree with the character’s actions in order to center the performance and how starting as a hero can limit a dramatic range of a narrative.
carnage-poster