As writer/director Nicolas Winding Refn explains in this excellent new hour-long profile by Laurent Duroche, music is integral to his process in finding a tonal focus for his films. For example, Drive star Ryan Gosling discusses Refn’s withdrawn nature during production in which he would disconnect from the set’s immediate surroundings by listening to Brian Eno — who scored the Danish filmmaker’s 2003 thriller Fear X — on headphones. Update: The full film is no longer available online. The trailer is now above.
While the piece isn’t at all centered on music, the whole program is a treat for anyone intrigued by Refn’s lengthy struggle toward finding an appreciative audience for his compelling and often unsettling point of view (e.g. “all art is violence…”). Moreover, NWR brings us up to date on his filmography thus far, complete with an interview by regular collaborator Mads Mikkelsen and candid behind-the-scenes footage with Refn himself as he prepares his next feature-length effort, Only God Forgives. Check it out above (via Filmmaker/The Playlist).