Only God Forgives fittingly split opinion quite violently upon its release in 2013, but its production process was similarly turbulent during six months on location in Bangkok. Absorbing new documentary My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, filmed by the director's wife Liv Corfixen, captures both the logistical turmoil and artistic ingenuity behind the scenes by offering intimate access to the personal environment and headspace of the Danish auteur along with the movie's star Ryan Gosling.
Here are some of the things we learnt...
1. Directors should avoid Tarot card readings from fellow directors
Nicolas Winding Refn receives a tarot card reading from his idol and legendary Chilean filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky, who issues a warning about the dangers of success. With the Danish director buoyed by the commercial performance of Drive, Jodorowsky advises that "this can change your creativity - you need to be careful".
2. Ryan Gosling can handle infant defecation
When the film's lead actor pays his director and family a visit in their hotel room, he receives more than he bargained for. Holding up a young child on the balcony to witness the stunning fireworks in the nighttime sky, his face starts to twitch. Then the penny (and something more organic) drops. "I think some fireworks just went off in the diaper," grins Gosling. "In fact, I'm sure of it."
The closeness between the star and Nicolas Winding Refn's family provides several heartwarming moments during the documentary.
3. Ever wondered what hotel floor number Nicolas Winding Refn likes?
Probably not, but he insists on floor 42 - a not insignificant number for those familiar with the works of Douglas Adams. It was almost the scene of tragedy during the film, with a laundry-related incident involving one of Refn's children on the balcony. Fortunately all was well in the end, following one fearful moment captured on camera.
4. Behind Refn's calm exterior lies a sea of self-doubt
"I've spent three years making this film and I don't really know what it's about," remarks Refn at one point, during a bout of dejection during production. Yet previously, he was the model of self-assurance when explaining the film's themes to Ryan Gosling, such as the sexualisation of violence.
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Veering wildly from turmoil to elation, Refn's conflicting thoughts on Only God Forgives mirror the polarised critical reaction to the film upon its eventual release. "I think it's better than Drive," he says during the post-production phase, only to soon change his stance to "I think it's a bad film". The self-doubt and undulating emotions we witness are a fascinating juxtaposition to the calmness and confidence he usually exudes in public. It's often tough to witness.
5. The power of Grayskull!
At one point, Refn unleashes a rather fantastic impersonation of He-Man while on set with Ryan Gosling. If only he'd been around to direct the Dolph Lundgren film version Masters of the Universe in 1987...
6. Gosling and Refn procured unconventional means of funding
With financial resources running low, an offer comes through for Gosling and Refn to attend a screening of Drive in Thailand in return for a significant payment that will be ploughed straight back into the production of Only God Forgives. They agree and quickly suit up for the occasion. The manner in which the big bundle of cash is delivered to the duo and subsequently counted on the table feels like a scene straight out of a heist movie.
7. The Cannes critics were under surveillance
Only God Forgives receives its premiere at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, causing an anxious Refn to spend the screening monitoring the audience to see how many people walked out. Witnessing his contrasting moods before and after the film is revealing.
When DS caught up with Refn for an in-depth chat about the movie in late 2013, he revealed that Cannes was the scene for one very curious interpretation: "My favourite one is when a German woman at Cannes came up to me and said, 'I think this movie takes place in the vagina, yes?' I was like, 'Yeah, that's pretty spot on, I would say'."
8. A film critic's knife can be a sharp one
It's very human to dwell on negative reactions to your work. Watching Refn fixate on the savage reviews of Only God Forgives is both agonising and compelling. At one point, he reads out the following assessment of his labours:
"This is a defecation by an over-praised, over-indulged director who thinks anything he craps out is worthy of your time. I felt violated, s**t upon, sedated, narcotised, appalled and bored stiff."
OUCH! If Refn ever needs an antidote to that venom, he should check out Only God Forgives. Go on Nic, give it a read.
9. Filmmaking is like chess
"The audience is black and I'm white," muses Refn in the presence of a hotel room wall he has covered with cards representing each scene. He explains how he wants to manoeuvre and manipulate the audience through a mixture of intrigue and maximising the content and placement of each scene. "Those are things I consider until I deliver a checkmate," he concludes.
My Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn is out now to buy on DVD
