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🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates /Culture & Society

Martin McDonagh’s ‘Wild Horse Nine’ hits Venice Film Festival with a dark tale

From Gulf Today · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Martin McDonagh’s "Wild Horse Nine," starring Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich as CIA agents, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and entered competition for the Golden Lion.
  • McDonagh said the film’s focus on guilt and regret over the 1973 Chilean coup moved it beyond a straightforward comedy into darker territory.
  • The film received a 13-minute standing ovation and will receive a theatrical release later this year.

Martin McDonagh’s new film, “Wild Horse Nine,” received a 13-minute standing ovation after its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The director was visibly moved, while the film entered the competition for the festival’s Golden Lion.

I realised then that the story could be about one of the guys experiencing guilt and regret over all these things he’s done. It took it away from being a simple comedy to something much deeper and sadder.

· Martin McDonaghThe director explained how the film’s focus changed after he centred it on the 1973 Chilean coup.

McDonagh said he had written several versions of the project before finding its subject. Earlier drafts focused on a father and son or on two actors, but the story began to take shape when he returned to the CIA and the 1973 military coup in Chile, an event that had fascinated him since he was a teenager.

“I realised then that the story could be about one of the guys experiencing guilt and regret over all these things he’s done,” McDonagh said. “It took it away from being a simple comedy to something much deeper and sadder.”

The nicest thing is that the film gets attention.

· John MalkovichMalkovich responded to suggestions that the film could lead to an Oscar win.

The film stars Sam Rockwell and John Malkovich as CIA agents travelling to Easter Island shortly before the coup. Malkovich described it as a film that addresses the deaths of John F. Kennedy and the Chilean coup “with great humour,” as well as with grace, intelligence and fairness. He dismissed suggestions that the role could bring him an Oscar after two previous nominations, saying, “the nicest thing is that the film gets attention.”

It’s a film that, with great humour, addresses two very traumatic occurrences, the death of John F. Kennedy and Chilean coup, with grace and intelligence and a kind of fairness.

· John MalkovichHe described the film’s treatment of its historical subjects.

“Wild Horse Nine” is one of the few Hollywood films made on Easter Island. The production had to transport cameras and period-specific cars, while Parker Posey travelled there for off-camera telephone scenes. Steve Buscemi, another newcomer to McDonagh’s films, said he had “practically stalked” the director at a previous Venice festival to ask to work with him. The film is scheduled for theatrical release later this year.

Practically stalked

· Steve BuscemiBuscemi described how he approached McDonagh at a Venice Film Festival to ask to work with him.
About this summary

Originally published by Gulf Today. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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