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‘As an Actor, You Have to Prove Yourself Every Day’ – Moritz Bleibtreu on ‘Only God Can Judge Me’
Moritz Bleibtreu was born in 1971, the son of Monica Bleibtreu and Hans Brenner. He shot to fame in the late ’90s with films like “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” “Run Lola Run,” “The Experiment,” and the cult comedy “Lammbock.” His versatile range of roles stretches from playing a RAF terrorist in “The Baader Meinhof Complex” to Joseph Goebbels in “Jew Suss: Rise and Fall.” Hollywood also took notice of the actor, whether in Steven Spielberg’s political drama “Munich” or in action films like “Speed Racer” or “World War Z” alongside Brad Pitt.
On 25th January, Bleibtreu returns to the big screen with the action crime drama “Only God Can Judge Me” by Özgür Yildirim, which had its premiere at the Zurich Film Festival. [030] staff member Dieter Oßwald spoke with the actor.
Mr Bleibtreu, the trade journal ‘Screen International’ praised how fantastic Hamburg looks in your film – which is, in fact, set entirely in Frankfurt…
Bleibtreu: Hamburg? Clearly someone wasn’t paying close attention! Good job I don’t read reviews! (Laughs)
Is gritty action more fun than getting stoned, as in your recent film ‘Lommbock’?
Bleibtreu: You can’t really say that. Each genre brings its own challenges for an actor. This project was a lot of fun, though, largely because it was realised in a very family-like atmosphere. As one of the producers, I was able to involve a lot of old friends from earlier days. That personal touch makes working especially enjoyable.
Is “Toni Erdmann” star Peter Simonischek also among these old friends?
Bleibtreu: When it came to casting my father in the film, Peter instantly sprang to mind. He’d actually known my real father. For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought Simonischek is an incredibly good actor. So I was absolutely delighted he accepted the part.
You previously worked with director Özgür Yildirim ten years ago on his debut “Chiko.” How do you see your partnership then and now?
Bleibtreu: With “Chiko,” Özgür was one of the first directors to tell a genre story from the perspective of these characters – which is exactly what happens here, too. That’s something very rare in German film; there’s almost always a look from the majority towards the minority. That point of view is beginning to change, as you can see convincingly in the series “4 Blocks.” I find this development very positive indeed.
How much can artists really know about this kind of criminal milieu?
Bleibtreu: Özgür grew up in Dulsberg, a neighbourhood in Hamburg that isn’t exactly the nicest part of town. I grew up in St. Georg, which also had quite a rough atmosphere back then. So we know the urban street environment from experience – at least more so than people who had a bourgeois upbringing.
The gangster genre needs violence. Still, the question is: how far can you go in depicting it?
Bleibtreu: That question has been asked ever since cinema began. Is film a reflection of reality – or the other way round? Art has to be free to express whatever it wants. No artist can ever control the impact their stories have. Even with a brilliant anti-war film showing horrifying violence, there will always be idiots who cheer it on. In our film, though, the violence is never put on show. There are no close-ups of bloody faces. Only in the larger-than-life showdown does it get a bit tougher – but that’s not glorification, it’s a cinematic device, staged almost like a ballet.
An ARTE documentary about you was called “Born an Actor – Moritz Bleibtreu.” Is that title accurate?
Bleibtreu: You don’t have to be born an actor, you can learn it just like any other craft. But I’m sure there are people who are born for it. For me, the title is probably right in that I never wanted to do anything else. But that’s by no means essential: you can absolutely discover acting for yourself later on.
Do you have any idea how many films you’ve made so far?
Bleibtreu: No idea…
According to the IMDB database, it’s 87 films…
Bleibtreu: Really, 87? Blimey! (Laughs) I’d probably have guessed around 70.
Do you still feel you have to prove anything to yourself?
Bleibtreu: As an actor, you have to prove yourself every single day; it’s just like in sport. The stage fright never really stops – when it does, you’re dead.
You’ve played terrorists, cancer patients and propaganda ministers. Are there any parts left you’re still hoping for?
Bleibtreu: The only thing missing is a totally bonkers transvestite! (Laughs). I don’t really think in those categories, to be honest; I actually still feel as though I’m right at the beginning of my journey. Everything behind me is just the past. And what the future brings is a vast field – as huge and out of reach as it was to me when I was 19. In that sense, I’m only just starting my career!
Do you change channels if you stumble across a Bleibtreu film on TV – or do you watch until the end credits?
Bleibtreu: I flick away quickly. I only ever watch my own films once, just to see which scenes were cut. I haven’t watched one of my films with an audience in ten years – I simply can’t take it. At premieres, I’d rather go to a restaurant during the screening. Unlike the theatre, you can’t change anything as an actor once the film’s finished. So I follow Johnny Depp’s advice: ‘Stay as far away as possible.’
If you don’t like watching yourself on the big screen, how do you feel about being on display as a wax figure at Madame Tussaud’s?
Bleibtreu: Madame Tussaud’s has some really excellent figures and some that aren’t so great. Unfortunately, mine isn’t one of the better ones. The experience is pretty bizarre and really quite funny, though.
Hollywood has seen a cascade of allegations triggered by the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Here in Germany, director Dieter Wedel has made headlines. Are there still time bombs waiting to go off?
Bleibtreu: I’m not one of those who keep chipping in to public debates, just to drive them to absurdity.
‘‘Only God Can Judge Me’ is released in German cinemas on 25th January.