“28 Years Later”: Danny Boyle Returns
On the occasion of the release of the new film, the director looks back on “The Millionaire” and his past with the “Alien” seriesDanny Boyle
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Finally back at the cinema for all post-apocalyptic horror fans, “28 Years Later” marks the return to directing of Danny Boyle, who continues the saga that began with the unforgettable 2002 cult film, starring Cillian Murphy, and continued with the 2007 sequel. In this third installment, the British director - author of the first film - once again uses a screenplay written by Alex Garland, giving life to a title that is receiving excellent critical acclaim and reaching important milestones at the box office, both in Italy and internationally.
In addition to the two chapters of the aforementioned trilogy, Boyle is closely linked to many other successful titles, which over time have consecrated him as one of the most followed and influential modern filmmakers. It is impossible not to mention, in this regard, the masterpiece “Trainspotting”, a brilliant comedy-drama on the theme of drugs and youth distress; or the Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire”, a bittersweet portrait of India that, through its infinite contradictions, highlights distances and affinities with our world. More recent are the 2015 biopic “Steve Jobs”, with an excellent Michael Fassbender in the role of the brilliant entrepreneur, and the nostalgic comedy “Yesterday”, a tribute to the music of the Beatles and its inestimable cultural value.
But Boyle’s career anecdotes and experiences with the camera go far beyond the accolades he has received. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the director revealed that five years before launching the “28 Days Later” franchise, he turned down a role in the “Alien” saga. According to him, the decision was dictated by his limitations in the use of digital effects and a lack of interest in a project too oriented towards computer graphics.
In particular, the director refused to direct the sequel “Alien: Resurrection”, despite the success of “Trainspotting” and subsequent courtship by Hollywood producers. In this regard, he said: “I met Sigourney Weaver and Winona Ryder, who were already involved in the project. It was all very serious. They were wonderful. But it was the beginning of the transition to computer graphics. That moment when everything was changing. And I couldn't handle it”.
Nevertheless, Boyle admits that he has always remained attached to the sci-fi saga, even after having declined the opportunity to take part in it: “I loved the idea of Alien. But at that moment I had a rare moment of clarity and I thought: you are not the right person for this film”. After finally approaching the world of digital effects with “Sunshine” and “127 Hours”, and after winning the Oscar for “The Millionaire”, Boyle acknowledged the responsibilities that come with success and such a prestigious award: “After the Oscars you are quite arrogant, an arrogance that you can use well or badly. I think we used it well, because 127 Hours was a film that otherwise would never have been made”.
Returning to the film that earned him the statuette in 2009, the director reflects on “Slumdog Millionaire” as a work that, today, he would not do again. During the promotional tour of “28 Years Later”, he admitted that at the time, he was the protagonist of a case of cultural appropriation: “Today we could not do it. And that is right, it is time to reflect on all this. We must look at the cultural baggage that we carry with us and the mark that we have left on the world”.
Talking about the film’s connection to colonialism, he added: “It seemed radical at the time, we decided that only a few of us would go to Mumbai. We would work with a large Indian crew and try to make a film within the culture. But it’s still an imperfect method because you remain an outsider. That kind of cultural appropriation can be tolerated at times but not at others.”
Convinced that today he would make very different choices than he did in the past, he concluded: “I am proud of that film but today you would never even think of doing something like that and it would not even be financed. Even if I were involved I would look for a young Indian director to direct it”.
John Scanu