Radha Mitchell is a special force in Hollywood in that she navigates the acting waters of both creepy genre films (Pitch Black, and now The Crazies) and adult drama (Melinda and Melinda and Finding Neverland). Thus, the Australian actress took a lot of introspect out of her experience with the latest "zombie" film The Crazies, and had a lot to say about small-town America. Having spent a lot of her career running away from ghouls of a respectable variety, the actress explains how the fear of such a horror film operates both intellectually and mechanically. Speaking in a roundtable interview in Chicago's wonderful lavish Trump Hotel, Mitchell also had a few things to say concerning one of her more popular films, Silent Hill.
This is an unusual genre film in that it has a marriage at the center, although the two characters are not on great grounds. From a character perspective, tell us what you thought about that.
It was certainly interesting to me to see two adult characters, with adult issues, at the center of a story like this. It’s sort of unusual in a way, you’re used to seeing teenagers. But it is interesting to see how it would turn out, with a sheriff and doctor on the run. I think they turned out kind of cool. There are these iconic images throughout the movie that create that sense of hip imagery. But in terms of character, there is some opportunity for character development, I really liked that ultimately it was four people who were completely dependent on each other. As much as they are victimized, their love for each other keeps them going.
A lot of the films you have been involved with have a really heavily apocalyptic theme, and a real concern for technology. This is sort of the ultimate extension of that.
I grew up being afraid of nuclear explosions, and what the future was going to be for my generation. I was a ten year old, I was a part of the Children’s Campaign for Peace. I don’t know if you remember, but our own fear as a generation was of being blown up before we grew up. I guess there has always been some sort of fear of this apocalypse. There is this idea that maybe humanity is not going to continue. Certainly that’s a possibility, and this genre has to explore paranoia.
And this movie is saying that we’re screwed, or out of luck.
What’s interesting about this movie, particularly for me, is that the film company has been able to parlay this into some social action, and if you look at the website it encourages people to lobby their senators to fix chemical plants. Apparently there’s like 300 chemical plants in America that are at risk, which puts a million people or more at risk if there’s an accident or terrorist attack. And there are things that can be done to change that situation.
This movie also plays on the idea of “enemy from within.”
I think we’re cynical now of our own government at this stage. I think Romero has always pondered whether the government is actually protecting us. If a disaster like this does go down, does the individual count, or are we statistics? I think we know that we are statistics.
How do you feel about the whole aging issue as an actress in Hollywood?
What do they say in Buddhism? That “life is suffering”? It’s like birth, disease, and old age. It’s what we all go through, and you can do it graciously. I think you celebrate youth while you have it, and then you kind of have to accept the beauty of aging process. I don’t’ think anyone is excited about aging, men or women, as I get older I’ll tell you what its like.
In a way, The Crazies is about the death of small time America.
Yes, but I think small-town America is already dead, don’t you? When we were shooting in Georgia, we were out in the middle of nowhere. What was essential to the area was Wal-Mart, so if you talked to anyone about anything, you could find it there. But [for the finale] we found this incredible truck stop location, an empty truck stop with a hotel on top. That whole thing was real. But every single store on the main road was a chain store, nothing that was local to the area. In a way, that’s America.
How do you prepare yourself for that fearful state of mind? Like in the pitchfork scene, how do you get ready for that fear?
You just kind of get into it, I don’t know how you can prepare for that. What’s really difficult is acting surprised.
Do they tell you when they’re going to use loud booms?
We made one [makes gunshot sound]. It was so annoying to the crew, because basically every beat in the movie was like a shock. It’s so hard to do it without some sort of physical stimulation. So we had these gunshots that were gonna go off and when we knew they were going to go off, it was like “Oh, god.” But it’s a very real way to feel what’s happening.
You tend to move between genre films and the more meatier roles. Do you think its possible to get a role like that that’s really good in the genre film, but you get to do the same level of performance?
If someone was to make Rosemary’s Baby again, that would be great. There’s just that level of sophistication in filmmaking. I haven’t seen it recently, but I’m sure someone is going to do it again soon, because there appears to be an audience for something like that.
You have fought crocodiles, aliens, and [those things in Silent Hill]. Who do you want to fight the most?
I actually really like those creatures in Silent Hill. They were beautiful and ugly and strange, so I’d probably bring those guys back. I don’t know if I’d want to fight them, I think I’d want a domestic scene like a normal movie.
Fido is like that.
Oh it is? Oh, actually, I was offered a part in Fido, and I didn’t do it, but I heard it was great.
Silent Hill 2, any talk of it?
I’m not sure what the talk is, I don’t think it’s Christophe Gans directing it. If I come back, I might be a creature or something. Which would be fun. I’d want to come back as the Dark Rose, but no, I can’t give you any information. I don’t know where that’s heading.