The film, like the book, plays with the mythology of the seemingly invincible outlaw, in this instance Forrest Bondurant, the middle brother, who, as the violence around him escalates, somehow survives against the odds to fight again.
“It’s not so much a true story as a true myth,” says Cave.“Forrest is a bit like Ned Kelly: he just keeps on coming back.”
Hardy plays Forrest as a kind of taciturn patriarch, all grunts and sighs and very few words, someone who is passive in all respects apart from one – his capacity for brutal vengeance.
“Tom really interpreted the character in such a different way than what was on the page,” says Cave.
“It confounded John to begin with, but he really created something interesting. I was totally impressed by his unique way of thinking. At one point, he said to me: ‘I just want to play it like an old lesbian.’ That blew me away.
He saw the role as being essentially maternal, so when Maggie comes in, there’s a tension in the family. It was a lesson for me in how far an actor can go in interpreting a role.”
- Nick Cave talking about Tom Hardy. The upside of Tom not doing any interviews is all these comments from other people about him. :)
(Source: Guardian)
