Alan Ritchson, who mostly has made his mark through strong performances in physical action roles, chats with us about his latest film Motor City – which is mainly a dialogue-light thriller. In his honest and open discussion, the actor reveals how the particular style of the filmmaking really pushed him to challenge himself creatively, and yet, has given him one of the more rewarding experiences so far! A different kind of film that relied mostly on visuals, telling the story through pictures and the minimum of words, really pushed the envelope and at the same time demonstrated Ritchson’s range to a point where action hero would seem a very narrow definition! The plot is a hard-edged, emotional story set in the background of Motor City’s industry where atmosphere and physical performance mainly drive the emotions. Ritchson explained that the script looked pretty tough, since it got rid of the comfort of long monologues, that many actors love, in their acting. Still, with the change came a new demand, the actors had to rely mainly on facial expressions, gestures and movements to express deep inner troubles and relationships between characters. To pull off such a change of mode, it forced Ritchson to immerse himself very deeply, and it brought new things which he, until then, had not put a lot of emphasis on in his loud and explosive roles!
Working out to build his physique was a big part of preparing for the character of Motor City, but at the same time he spent his time contemplating the role. Ritchson was in constant communication with the director in such a way that, in the shared vision between them, even silence could become a storytelling tool. The filmmaker drew from classic movies and films which excelled in visual language. These methods got updated by the team to the context of a modern thriller. Ritchson was doing his homework for quite some time, getting the right expressions by practicing them in the front of a mirror without words, and finally, shooting himself to catch even the slightest details which could say the whole thing through an image. The precision that this whole work entailed changed a possible constraint into an artistic opportunity.
Due to the very little dialogue, the mood at the set felt almost like a family gathering where people were so close and trusting each other. Ritchson explained the bonding was because of the shared challenge, that gave rise to a cooperative space where the crew’s contributions brought even more ideas to the visual elements. When he talked about moments where words did not get in the way but rather added to the visual, he mentioned a simple glance or a move which told about the inner nature of the character and that was very hard to pull a take successfully without being really emotionally authentic and well timed!
The movie talks about isolation redemption human connection, and the desolation through a decaying cityscape. Ritchson has found quite a personal reflection on the film since at his stage in life it’s more like he knows well how it feels to be an object of attention at the same time having his personal struggles. Also, he shared that it has always made him feel warm and close to other people if he could see vulnerability in a character. The action sequence needed Ritchson for most of his energy and physical endurance, but it is the quiet moments that were equally tough since these are where you expose your real feelings. He had to get into these kinds of roles to understand and experience them and in turn his character in the movie could express them very convincingly too;
Motor City has an almost other-worldly beautiful visual feel to it with cinematography that has been very carefully crafted to reflect the haunting beauty of Motor City. This limited use of words heightens the excitement and at same time leaves the viewer free to get involved with the story without the filmmaker trying to dictate the viewer what they should know or think at their pace! The actor feels that the way of this film is going to hit people is In particular good for those who want to find an offering different from what the major productions of mainstream cinema throw at the viewer. This movie gives a fresh twist that makes viewers who have been paying attention get more out of it!
Ritchson Still has grown through making Motor City in a way he is now more open to the idea of film being a means of expression that is far more varied. Compared to these kinds of films there are many times the filmmaker will have a bigger budget and So, the emphasis on visual grandeur can be bigger.
