“Showing her death would have been glorifying her”: Sam Taylor-Johnson explains his crucial choice for Back to Black

Back to blackto find Amy Winehouse

At the cinema from April 24th Back to black tells a lot about Amy Winehouse’s short but extraordinary musical career, and a little about her great love story and her addictions. Her director Sam Taylor-Johnson explained to us her “responsibility” towards the British singer who died at 27, her relationship with her interpreter Marisa Abela, and why she chose not to show Amy Winehouse’s death .

How did you approach this biopic of Amy Winehouse?

Sam Taylor Johnson : It all started with a feeling of great responsibility. Because I had the opportunity to create something to celebrate Amy Winehouse and her music, instead of going back to her tragic fate and presenting her as a victim. I wanted to somehow raise him, and this by going out Back to black the public wants to hear his music. This responsibility fell to her. Also, obviously, towards her family, her loved ones, her fans, but above all this responsibility towards her to be heard through her music.

This intention is fully felt in the memorable recording sequence of “Back to Black”. Was it a difficult sequence to produce?

Sam Taylor-Johnson : It was a complex sequence, because we had to fit all this big story into this song, from the death of his grandmother to the breakup with Blake. It is the journey of a broken heart. Making it happen in just a few minutes was difficult. Feeling that this music is so authentic and sincere, that the pain it transmits is so powerful…

Marisa Abela is impressive in her portrayal of Amy Winehouse, how did you work with her?

Sam Taylor-Johnson : It’s very rare to find someone like Marisa, to the point that she managed to become Amy Winehouse, and not just imitate her. He is a unique talent, difficult to find. I’ve been lucky ! We both had the same idea, the same vision for this portrait, with this very deep spiritual connection. Our collaboration was very powerful, we were really connected in the way we worked. She was great to work with, Marisa has a real work ethic but she also wanted to be as sincere as possible towards Amy.

Rather than offering tragedy, a lightness and happy emotion emerges Back to black. And your film somehow ignores his disappearance. For what ?

Sam Taylor-Johnson : It’s a celebration. Coming out of the cinema and wanting to celebrate her, wanting to hear her music again. I think it’s the best feeling we can have, because we all know the tragedy, we know what will happen… But I wanted it to be at the very end of Back to black, is remembered as a songwriter and singer, with her incredible voice and a powerful story to tell. I absolutely wanted to avoid viewers walking away saying to themselves “it was so serious and depressing…”, because my idea was to pay homage to her humor, her intelligence, her gift for telling stories and this attitude to the truth Love.

I personally never needed to see his death, know what he looked like at the time, or even know how it happened. We’ve all read about it, we know what killed her. To show her death would have been, in a certain sense, to glamorize her, to glorify her. So I thought that giving an ending that was both poetic and ambivalent, while knowing what was happening… Sometimes it’s better and more effective not to show.

For you, as an artist, how much influence does Amy Winehouse have?

Sam Taylor Johnson : She has an influence, because she was a woman who wasn’t afraid to be authentic. She had this ability to convey pure emotions. She is very close to her influences, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Lauryn Hill, in the sense that her music is like that of these artists that she loves, her music transcends eras and will cross all generations.

I have a 12 year old, a 13 year old, a 17 year old and a 26 year old, four girls and they all have different tastes in music. Some people like musicals, Hamilton, Hamilton all day ! Another likes Nicky Minaj and Drake, another likes ambient music… But everyone likes Amy Winehouse. And not because their mother directs the film! Her music speaks to adults and children, to all ages.

Do you have a favorite Amy Winehouse song?

Sam Taylor Johnson : I think my favorite is “Love is a losing game”, because when I first heard it live at the Mercury Prize in London in 2007, which I was watching on TV, I had this fantastic feeling that she could capture all the attention. The whole room was completely silent… I remember thinking, “My God, that voice is so powerful…” So I’d say this!

Source: Cine Serie

Ray

Ray Ortiz is a journalist at Gossipify, known for his coverage of trending news and current events. He is committed to providing readers with accurate and unbiased reporting, and is respected for his ability to keep readers informed on the latest news and issues.