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Rian Johnson (‘Daggers in the Back: Glass Onion’): “If the audience doesn’t like it, everything else won’t work and won’t matter”

‘Fists in the Back’ was a complete hit in theaters and won over both critics and Hollywood academics, which was nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Screenplay category. So, there were many reasons for Rian Johnson, its director and screenwriter, to do it get to work on a sequel. ‘Daggers in the Back: The Mystery of the Glass Onion’, like its predecessor, It has a great cast, but that’s not the only thing it has in common with that first installment.

This new case led by Daniel Craig reprising his role as Detective Benoit Blanc, rounds out the cast with Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline and it also pays homage to the genre, albeit in a very different way. Contrary to its predecessor, ‘Glass Onion’ does not opt ​​for the more typical setting in the case of these films, nor for a constant reference to the films ‘who is the killer?’, despite this, according to Johnson’s insistence , , also includes homages to the genre. This director quotes summer crime classics like ‘Death under the sun’, “an adaptation of Agatha Christie that I love, with Peter Ustinov” or “The End of Sheila” “co-written by Stephen Sondheim and Anthony Perkins, which has a familiar setting”to clarify that although his new proposal is very different, the references are still present and he continues to weave them into the plot with the utmost care.

Also, as in ‘Puñales por la espalda’, this new installment sets out to conquer the essential triad in the most sublime mysteries: have a funny case, load the whole plot with clues and transfer a not so veiled social critique to the crazy times we are living in. That said, Johnson makes it clear “the priority is always entertainment” guaranteeing it without a doubt “If the audience doesn’t enjoy the film very much, everything else won’t work or matter”. “For me, that’s where I need to work the hardest on – making sure the audience enjoys the cinema with their friends. Then, hopefully, everything else will work out too”.

Those issues that have to work behind essential viewer entertainment aren’t exactly straightforward. With social inequality or the pandemic at the forefront, Johnson turns to satire by tackling heavy issues “with a very light touch because what happened is very serious, and this is not a very serious film”, he says in relation to COVID. Maybe that’s why she decides to downplay other issues such as the sexuality of her protagonist, a gay Benoit Blanc who speaks naturally about sexual orientation. “To me it was just a character trait, something about who he is, a film that made sense to Daniel and I, and that fit very well with the essence of the film”He says.

    Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig Behind the Scenes of 'Knives in the Back: The Mystery of the Glass Onion'

return to the distant galaxy

Yes, we know that every time he gives an interview, Rian Johnson is forced to answer again the eternal question: ‘when will we finally see your return to ‘Star Wars’?’ The fact is that we didn’t want to be outdone, especially taking into account that as much as this director assures that his next galactic project is still in progress, it seems that his words do not penetrate the fandom. Johnson “promises” that the matter boils down to that they simply haven’t found the moment, but you plan to travel “soon” in our favorite galaxy far away.

“It’s a matter of schedule! I promise it’s just a matter of schedule. On ‘Star Wars’, I keep in touch with Kathleen Kennedy [presidenta de Lucasfilm] and I had a lot of fun making “The Last Jedi”, promoting it and living the experience of confrontation with the fans; It’s the funnest thing I’ve ever done. So I keep in touch with her and I really hope it happens soon. But at the same time, I’m very excited to be doing ‘Puñales’ right now, so…we’ll see.”.

Clearly Johnson’s priority right now is his mystery saga, which premieres a second installment, “Knives in the back. The Mystery of the Glass Onion’ this December 23 on Netflix.

Source: E Cartelera

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