The case of the West Memphis Three has been dissected, inspected and interpreted for years. In 1994 three teenagers were tried and convicted of the murder of
three young boys in Memphis, Arkansas. They were accused of involving Satanic
ritual in the killing. During their life sentence in jail, their innocence was in
question. Musicians, activists and artists have raised the question for years: Who was really to blame in this modern day
witch-hunt?
The
Paradise Lost documentary trilogy explored the verdict, gaining
support when Metallica offered their music to the soundtrack. Amy Berg’s
documentary West of Memphis premiered with success at Sundance in 2012, produced by Peter Jackson. Novels have explored the case as well, such
as Blood of Innocents by Guy Reel and Devil’s Knot by
Mara Leveritt, the latter of which inspired Atom Egoyan’s film.
Egoyan,
known for his incredible The Sweet
Hereafter and breakout film Exotica, directs
this narrative adaptation. Reese Witherspoon came on board the project on early
to produce and star as Pam Hobbs, mother to one of the deceased children. Colin
Firth, Dane DeHaan, Mireille Enos, Stephen Moyer and Kevin Durand round out the cast.
I had a moment to speak with Egoyan, eager to
discover his own intention in revisiting the case. He reveals his personal
motivations for making the movie, how he handles actors, their boundaries and
his troubling search for justice.
MA: The West Memphis
Three were released from prison in 2011. Did you spend any time with them or immerse
yourself in study of the judicial system in preparation for the film?
AE: I spent time with Jason [Baldwin] certainly. In
terms of preparing for the film, really it was a film that was concentrated on
what happened in that town 20 years ago. Looking at all the possible other
avenues that the court did not explore, to me, that was the intention.
I think what’s most
troubling about this case is that there were so many routes that were not
followed. The trial was
handicapped by a judge who clearly had an agenda. This was the most horrifying crime
scene imaginable. It was also supernatural because there wasn’t any
hard evidence. It’s as though
these evil perpetrators had to be created. The film is trying to show that you cannot use circumstantial evidence
unless all other avenues are completely exhausted. The film is presenting the
full spectrum.
MA: Both Devil’s Knot and The
Sweet Hereafter center on a tragedy that affects a community. What
fascinates you about exploring this ripple effect of mourning, sanity, and
blame?
AE: I’m Armenian,
and April 24th was the 99th commemoration of the genocide. The perpetrator never
admitted the crime. I was raised with that, this question: how do you actually find
the truth of such a traumatic event? I’m obsessed
with that issue. I find it deeply upsetting when I see justice not being served.
How do we as human beings deal with the unknown? The West Memphis Three trial is a joke on so many different levels.
The documentary [West of Memphis] actually finds in its structure a person who should have
been followed. Even that is a dramatic solution that’s convenient. But there so many other elements of
drama and mystery. We’re still living with this ambiguity. That is so
troubling. I wanted to create this sense that it‘s unresolved.
MA: Many of your films have elements of the thriller
genre, withholding key information from the audience early on. You did so in this film and
also in Exotica. Tell me about this withholding and how you use it to build
tension.
AE: That’s a really good question because it’s a little
perverse,
the way it‘s
done in this film. The audience expects Colin Firth to come in as the knight in shining armor, Atticus Finch. He’s the
gentleman in the southern court. To see he’s excluded in the court
in one scene subverts our expectation. It has all the elements of a courtroom
thriller. It was also very unusual and I’m actually obsessed with the idea, because I’ve seen justice not
served, that the only justice is acknowledgement between two individuals. This happens between Reese and Colin in the forest at one point: something is fucked up and is deeply upsetting.
Sometimes that’s where
healing can maybe begin.
MA:
Reese Witherspoon really championed this film early on. What was
your relationship with her
on set, considering she also produced the project?
AE:
The thing that’s amazing about Reese in this movie is that she’s so generous. She’s part of
this fabric, and she was prepared to plunge into that and not look like a
Hollywood star. She was prepared to be this mom who lost her son. She was so concerned
that it be tonally right, that it not use any clichés.
Ultimately, the forest is a place
steeped in religion and belief. What happened in the forest
was so demonic. In absence of evidence, demons had to be
conjured in the courtroom.
MA:
Colin Firth is an incredible actor and Dane DeHaan has an incredibly
promising career ahead of him. What did you learn from working with both
actors, given they’re at opposite
ends of the spectrum when it comes to experience?
AE:
I have to admit that this whole
experience is overwhelming because I couldn’t believe the caliber of
actor drawn to this project. I was in awe of these actors. Dane was mind-blowingly great in
this role. Mireille is so great in this tiny role, I cast her in my next film. Kevin Durand, every one of these actors,
became really possessed. The film was unique this way, it existed in this pocket of consciousness. Chris Morgan’s interviews in that room are online. Dane got to reincarnate that character. He’s replicating what’s on that tape.
MA:
Many directors have pushed their actors to dangerous places. We recently
read the backlash from the actors in Blue
is the Warmest Colour. Have you ever had a moment where you had to
pull an actor back
from that place? That, or push them forward, but with a watching eye?
AE:
Every actor has a different
temperament. Part of my job is to know what those boundaries are. The actor has
to know you’ll be there
at the other end, that you’re trying
to represent
them in the best light, who they are as they’re harnessing these roles. The methods vary
from actor to actor. With this film, all these great actors in the
courtroom were in this place
together. They got to share that with their fellow actors in this theatrical way.
Meredith Alloway is a LA local and Texas native. She is currently Senior
Editor at TheScriptLab.com where she focuses on screenwriting education
and entertainment resources. She also launched her own interview showm
“All the Way with Alloway,” where she scoops the latest up and coming
industry insiders. She received her Playwriting and Theatre degree from
Southern Methodist University and continues to pursue her own writing
for film and stage.
Press Play Video Blog 