Remake: The Manchurian Candidate with Demme

[SiliasRuby]

Sure, if you want.

[modage]

Should I mark my calendar?

NO!

[MacGuffin]

Demme talks U.S. politics at Venice fest

VENICE -- With a strong American presence at this year's Venice International Film Festival, it didn't take long for U.S. politics to rear its controversial head.

On just the second day of the 11-day festival, director Jonathan Demme -- in town with a remake of the political thriller "The Manchurian Candidate" -- spoke at a news conference here Thursday and took aim at the current state of U.S. politics.

"As an American, I really feel my country is in a lot of trouble," Demme said without mentioning the Bush administration by name. "I think our leaders have taken us in a really bad direction on so many levels."

At the conference, Demme was pressed by several journalists to make a connection between his film and the current geopolitical situation. "I feel that our leaders really want to own the world for two reasons," he said. "One, there are endless profits from owning the entire world, and because if you own and control the world, there is a relief from fear."
 
The director went on to lament the current entanglement of money and politics. "That is the big struggle of the moment, and it is coming to a head in a couple of months," he said. "We have untold millions who want to return to a richer sense of democracy."

Demme was joined at the conference by the film's stars, Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington and Liev Schreiber.

Streep was repeatedly queried about the supposed influences on her character -- from Margaret Thatcher to Hillary Clinton -- but she diplomatically sidestepped the question and by and large steered clear of making her political leanings known.

"People have grown very weary of messages being buried in art, or so-called documentaries," she said. "We all have our political opinions that we could sit around and talk about all day."

Demme had previously noted that politics were "never talked about" during the making of his film and said it was meant as a political thriller. "I feel 'The Manchurian Candidate' is, first and foremost, a political thriller, and I wanted to shape it like 'Silence of the Lambs' and essentially make a very strong movie emotional experience," he said.

Washington played it low-key, giving only minimal answers to questions.

In an earlier press conference, Scarlett Johansson and John Travolta were on hand to plug their film "A Love Song for Bobby Long," directed by Shainee Gabel.

In serving double duty as a jury member and actress, Johansson is emerging as this year's de facto Hollywood star on the Lido.

When a swooning Chilean journalist professed his love to her and asked what film she would choose for them to co-star in, the actress named "Single White Female."