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Moritz Bleibtreu in Interview: “Drugs aren’t the issue at all.”
Moritz Bleibtreu was born in 1971 to Monica Bleibtreu and Hans Brenner. He became popular in the late 90s through films such as “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, “Run Lola Run”, “The Experiment”, and the cult comedy “Lammbock”. His versatile range of roles extends from playing an RAF terrorist in “The Baader Meinhof Complex” to Joseph Goebbels in “Jew Süss – Film Without Conscience”. Hollywood also took notice of the actor. Whether in Steven Spielberg’s political drama “Munich” or action films like “Speed Racer” or “World War Z” with Brad Pitt. Now, Bleibtreu stars as a driven, high-powered lawyer in “The Dark Side of the Moon”, based on the bestseller by Martin Suter, which is being released in cinemas.
Mr Bleibtreu, what is the special quality of Moritz Bleibtreu?
Special quality? I really don’t know…
The “Lammbock” director Christian Zübert says it’s your down-to-earth attitude?
Down-to-earth, I like that. It’s better than constantly falling over or losing touch. (Laughs)
You filmed “Lammbock”, a stoner comedy that is still a cult classic even after thirteen years, with its lines still being celebrated online. What’s the coolest line for you?
That is extremely hard to say…
Among the famous “Lammbock” dialogues is a somewhat suggestive line in which Mehmet Scholl is mentioned—a line that other players are said to have teased him about…
Idid ask Mehmet at the time for permission to do it. He agreed, although he wasn’t entirely sure how the line would go. Trying to wind him up with it is utter nonsense—anyone who does that really hasn’t understood “Lammbock” at all. We really created a monument to Mehmet with it. The whole film is a tribute to Scholl.
Was the stoner comedy a preparation for the drug sequences in “The Dark Side of the Moon”?
Drugs aren’t the issue at all in this film. They’re just the triggers that show how fragile the human brain can be—and how quickly a balance can be thrown and abysses open up. It’s completely irrelevant whether this happens through the consumption of psychedelic mushrooms or through a traumatic experience. It can all happen surprisingly quickly, that we stray from familiar paths and suddenly do things we never would have imagined.
Metaphors aside—how do you play a horror trip and make it believable?
I’ve never had any personal experience with hallucinogenic drugs, it’s completely alien to me. Acting is precisely about portraying things as convincingly as possible that one has never experienced. I don’t think you need personal overlap with a character in order to find truth. Truth always comes from within, and that’s what you have to find—which is why I don’t believe in so-called “method acting”. 99 percent of my work is based on imagination.
You’ve played terrorists, cancer patients and propaganda ministers—any dream roles left?
A completely bonkers transvestite is still missing from my collection! (Laughs). I don’t really think in those categories, I still feel as if I’m just starting out in my work. Everything that’s behind me is the past. And what the future brings is a huge field for me—just as vast and uncharted as I felt when I was 19. In that sense, my career is only just beginning!
Would a “Tatort” inspector be conceivable in this vast field?
“Tatort” doesn’t appeal to me. There are already so many colleagues playing inspectors and they all do it so well that they don’t need me.
You’ve shot with Spielberg and with Brad Pitt. Don’t you fancy a bit more Hollywood?
Those aren’t decisions one can make oneself. If you’re lucky enough to be offered something over there, who would say no if the films sound convincing? And anyway, over the past 15 years I’ve constantly been working abroad—almost every German film of mine is matched by an international production. Loads of my colleagues have had similar experiences, though that’s not always recognised here in Germany.
Is there a perfect scene in your career you’re absolutely proud of?
No, I can’t judge myself, others have to do that. In my experience, your own perspective is often completely different to how the audience sees things. There are scenes I really liked, for which I got pelted with tomatoes. Conversely, there are sequences I found terribly dull that were met with great acclaim. All I can do in front of the camera is give my best—what viewers make of it is out of my hands.
Martin Suter’s novels almost always hit the bestseller lists. What makes this author so special?
Suter has a brilliant talent for describing the human inner world in a fascinating way. His stories take place in settings that most readers don’t know—and this combination makes his novels an extremely exciting experience.
A key theme in the film is the forest—what does that mean to you?
The forest is a very archetypal symbol, especially in German culture. Forests are scary and beautiful at the same time—such a mix is truly unique. How quickly the atmosphere in a forest can shift is something we noticed a lot while filming: in the morning, certain spots would have made great locations for an idyllic advert, and by afternoon, they could be the perfect backdrop for a Dracula film.
You share not just a professional but also a personal friendship with Til Schweiger. How do you see the reactions to his Facebook appearances?
You have to be incredibly careful with social media. Personally, I’ve made it a habit not to take anything in social media too seriously. I don’t want to feel offended by people I don’t know writing things about me in some parallel world that doesn’t even exist in reality.
You’ll soon be filming the sequel to “Lammbock”—how worried are you about the expectations of the fans?
Not worried at all, director and author Christian Zübert has done his homework—after all, he’s had 13 years for it!
The interview was conducted by [030] staff member Dieter Osswald.
Moritz Bleibtreu can be seen inThe Dark Side of the Moonin cinemas from 14.01.16.