Alex Ross Perry's Experimental Musical Biopic Draws Inspiration from Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk"
In an interview at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, indie director Alex Ross Perry revealed that Christopher Nolan's Oscar-winning epic "Dunkirk" served as a surprising inspiration behind his upcoming experimental musical biopic "Pavements" about the American indie band Pavement.
"This is a hundred-million-dollar World War II film that, to me, had to be my influence in making this documentary," Perry stated. "It has three storylines: one that takes place over a week, one that takes place over a day, and one that takes place over an hour, and 80% of the way through the movie, all of them converge at the same point at the same time."
Perry hailed Nolan's script as "one of the most structurally incredible, miraculous scripts ever written," noting its effectiveness both on the page and on screen. He elaborated that the sense of restlessness as a filmmaker and cinephile drove him to create "Pavements," leading him to explore essay film techniques and a hybrid format.
"I didn't invent the essay film, I just wanted to make one," Perry said. "It's not an instinct most narrative filmmakers would ever have. It's like learning another language."
Perry emphasized the significance of a well-written script, acknowledging that he had become more critical of them over time. He criticized an unnamed recent "very popular" film for its "unforgivable" script, arguing that its predictability and lack of originality ruined the viewing experience.
"In the two hours that you watch the film, if you've ever seen another movie, there is not a single moment where you are not one hour ahead of the characters," Perry observed. "Every second I spent watching this movie was torture because I have seen a movie before."
Perry's heightened awareness of scriptwriting standards has made him more self-critical, leading him to strive for perfection and a refined approach to filmmaking.