It makes sense, then, because you really focus on the women in these stories in a way that many films in the genre don’t.
It’s almost impossible to imagine a West without women, isn’t it? The West cannot continue to exist without women. And they understood that they were basically trying to keep their families clean and fed, and the women had to work themselves to death. And if they lose their man, there’s a good chance their life could turn into something unimaginably bad. That’s why Sienna [Miller]Her character moves so quickly to bring a man into her life, because she knows how vulnerable she can be and she doesn’t care about her reputation to do it. And now we will taboo it: So fast, she moved so fast.
I’m not looking for fame because women are in it. To me, they’re not in there, they’re real dominate movie, to be honest. Each of those women dominated when they were on screen.
I especially love the role of Jena Malone. She brings a completely different energy.
When she hits Lee Monastery on that hill, just hit her on the head. [Laughs] How wonderful. she [playing] A mother. She is the mother of a sales guy and she has a tenant who brings in more money than her husband. She has a child and is living in near squalor. So that’s her setup. And if you let an actress like Jena Malone go? She’s about to leave.
This is the first film he has directed in about 20 years. Do you feel like a different director when you get back in the chair?
I always feel like everyone else is a better director than me. I just let them do their thing. That’s what I really feel. But when it came time to do this, because I had done enough movies, I felt like this movie had a tone and it had to be maintained. I don’t know where I could live with myself if I saw scenes like this [a female character] was taking a shower, and someone said, “We need to cut that thing out” — because women’s desire to be clean and keep their families clean is paramount. Sexy or just a simple idea like “Can I get this stain off my body?” turns into a very sexy moment [in the film] until it’s ruined by a voyeuristic twist — and we suddenly see what the scene actually is, they ruined it. The moment we realized other men were watching her, we didn’t like it. That tell you anything? It’s simple: There are Peeping Toms in every decade, every century. There are abusers in every decade, every century. We have a lot in common with people who come to the West. However, what we cannot compare is their level of difficulty. How dangerous.
Do you have a start date for season three yet?
Yeah, I’ve only been doing it for three days, man. And then I went back. I’m fighting to shoot 10 more days, 12 more days if possible.
Does that fight get easier or harder the deeper you get into it?
It’s more difficult. It’s harder because what’s important to me is that the story gets better [works]. That’s why I don’t have to say, “Oh my God, it worked.” I had to re-invent some stories. I know what the story is, but what’s important to me is that it gets better and better.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
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