Another missive from the Glasgow Film Festival. On this one, we chat with the mighty Viggo Mortensen. Yes, Aragorn himself!
The Lord of the Rings and A History of Violence star was in town for the UK premiere of The Dead Don't Hurt, a sinewy western that Mortensen wrote, directed, composed the music for and starred in.
Set in the 1860s in a small Nevada outpost, The Dead Don't Hurt is both a beautiful homage to the great westerns of the past and a subversion of this most macho of film genres. It centres on the romance between Mortensen’s character Olsen, a Danish carpenter, and Vivienne, a fiercely independent French-Canadian woman who grew up dreaming of being Joan of Arc, played by Vicky Krieps.
Mortensen and Krieps are an acting match made in heaven. They’re ably supported by a cast that includes Danny Huston, Garret Dillahunt, and the young Scottish actor Solly McLeod, who plays a brutish psychopath who will change Vivianne and Olsen’s lives forever.
The day after The Dead Don’t Hurt’s UK Premiere, we sat down with Viggo Mortensen and his young co-star Solly McLeod to discuss the film.
TIMESTAMPS:
Jamie introduces The Dead Don't Hurt (0:05)
Viggo and Solly's first impressions of Glasgow (1:40)
Viggo's love of classic westerns (3:00)
How Solly got cast (4:30)
The film's non-linear structure (7:30)
Working with Vicky Krieps (12:10)
What Viggo learned from observing other directors (16:10)
Sparks of inspiration on set (18:20)
What Viggo and Solly are doing next (20:30)
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