A tête-à-tête with Charlotte Rampling

Better late than never.

On Friday, November 4, Charlotte Rampling’s portrait documentary, The Look, was released at the Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. For over four decades, Rampling has caught the eyes of a cult like audience with her dangerous sex appeal and serene au natural façade. I spoke with Rampling about The Look and why reality TV is not all that it’s cracked up to be.

How do you feel about having your own biographical documentary?
I wouldn’t call it a biographical documentary, but yeah, it is a film obviously about me, but it’s not really a biographical one. It’s more like conversations, illustrated with films.

I know the film is broken up into multiple topics, what was the hardest for you to speak about?
They were all hard actually; it was a hard thing to do (laughs).  I didn’t think it was going to be easy and I didn’t necessarily want to do it. It was someone else's idea and eventually I did end up doing it.  When you delve into any subject it always becomes multi-dimensional.  It’s never just about one thing. It’s about love and death and demons.  It suddenly becomes multifaceted.

Why didn’t you want to do it?

I didn’t really want to talk about myself.  I find that quite difficult.  I mean it’s okay to just do interviews to promote a film, but to just do it because you’ll be talking about yourself is something else.  It’s actually quite daunting.  You think why would anyone want to listen to it. And that’s not false modesty; I just don’t think most people are very comfortable when it comes down to just being themselves. 

I know in your next film, you play a dying woman. Do you wish you could set back the clock and go back to say "The Night Porter?" How do you feel about aging?

To set back the clock no. I don’t actually think about aging, I don’t think that I’m aging, of course I am and I am the age I am, but I certainly don’t hide it. I don’t feel like I’ve changed in anyway, just matured. And I live probably better with myself, because I’m older. I’ve done a lot of stuff and I think one of the advantages of getting older is you live a little bit more serenely. You’re not quite in a state of hypertension like you often are when you’re younger. But apart from that, I don’t feel like I’m aging in anyway. Of course you do when you look in the mirror.

I know Dirk Bogarde gave you the trademark “the look” because of mysterious aura you gave off in The Night Porter, do you think that label well represents you?
 Yeah, I think so. And I think we thought a lot about it when the producers wanted it to be that title. And when I thought about it, it made sense, because it’s about looking to be looked at. Which are two of things that are very much about my world.

Your presence is very organic, having also been a model and taken on various roles, when do you feel most confident?

Most confidant? God I don’t even know. Sitting by myself at home does one feel confident? It’s a difficult state to be in, I’m not sure how confident one can say one is, but you learn how to be confident.  I’ve learned over the years how to put myself in a situation, to make myself feel confident about that situation. I make people believe also that I am confident. And when you make people believe, that you are in a certain state of mind and being, then people believe it.

I believe it!

(Laughs)

You star in many dark obscure films, are you usually looking for that specific type?
I go for a psychologically, intense, rich one, not necessarily always dark, but to illustrate people that interest me.  And those people who interest me are usually quite complex, daring people. I tend to want to enter that arena. Because that’s where human behavior is particular.

In a sense a biographical documentary has a similarities to reality TV, only we actually respect documentaries and not so much the celebrities whom have become famous through scandals. Are you aware of Kim Kardashian's divorce?

I was only aware of it because someone spoke about it yesterday.

What do you think of the obsession people have with knowing about every bit and piece of a single persons lifestyle?

I think it’s dangerous.  I really do think it is a dangerous trend. Why it’s dangerous, is people can’t resist doing it. So if the door is open to it, people will go through that door. Even people who have never really thought about it, they go about it, not in a morbid way, that’s not that right word. It brings out the mediocre in people. And I think if we stimulate people’s appetite, then they’re going to eat it. They’re going to consume. If you take it away then they’re fine without it. I don’t think it’s great at all. I don’t think it does anyone much good. It doesn’t bring much happiness either.

*Cykic