Uwe Boll’s latest movie is Rampage: Capital Punishment, the sequel to arguably the only critically accepted film of his entire career. To be honest, the sequel is another good movie and it seems like Boll might be turning a corner in his career. Use Boll took the time to talk to Renegade Cinema about his new movie and his career.
There seemed to be a lot of anger involved in the movie’s message. What were some of the real world events that finally convinced you that this story needed to be told?
I was very excited when Obama took over office, and over the years it evaporated into deep depression about him and how shitty the political landscape is. We react to climate change way too slow, we did not go after the criminal bankers from Wall Street, and we don’t change the gun laws, the prison system, the corruption. Every war ends up in a disaster.
Brendan Fletcher was just fantastic in this movie. What did he bring to the project and how important was he to making this movie work?
Without him, there would be no Rampage 2. He is Bill Williamson. In the beginning, he was not so excited about part 2 but when he read it he was on board. He felt that this character is maybe his Walter White of his acting career.
You have been, over your career, one of the most criticized directors working. However, with both Rampage and this follow-up, it seems that critics have started to take notice. What is it about these two movies that you think attracted the change in attitude from film critics?
I think with Stoic, Postal, Tunnelrats, Attack on Darfur, Auschwitz, Assault on Wallstreet – I did a lot of good movies in the last years, but I agree that Rampage got the best reviews from all of them. It’s very cynical and hard and ruthless – maybe critics like that.
This might be one of the best-directed movies you have made, from the pacing and the acting to the music and effects. How do you see yourself progressing as a filmmaker over the last two decades?
I think if I make movies I’m passionate about I’m on a different level than if I do just genre movies or video game adaptations.
Your most polarizing movies were based on pre-existing video games. What changes are there in your style or mindset when approaching something that is completely original compared to an adaptation?
I just focus on the story and my style is to not hide anything. I make straight-in-the-face movies, angry and direct movies, no digging around. In adaptations, you need to make the story work for the same idiots who watch garbage like Transformers and Avengers.
There is a lot of violence in this movie. While it might seem gratuitous at moments, it is clear that the violent acts are there to shine a light on the overall theme. Tell me a little about why the over-the-top violence was so important for this particular story.
Rampage 1 was even more violent. The point of Bill Williamson is that there is no mercy on the planet. Violence made history and moved history forward. He is like the foreign policy of America on a personal level.
Do you feel that the message of your movie, since it was thrown down so bluntly, might cause a sort of reactionary backlash towards you? Do you even care if it does?
I don’t care. What Bill says is my opinion. I’m amazed that the most important subject matters on earth are getting ignored by movies and the people are getting brainwashed to think 12 Years a Slave or Iron Man are important movies. They are not. Important movies try to change the world now and they are about the problems that exist now. They hurt and they initiate change.
Forty years ago, the movies about Vietnam came out almost during the war. Salvador or Wall Street from Oliver Stone were made to open our eyes and to change America’s foreign and other policies. Today, movies that come across as politically critical are in reality advertising spots for the CIA like Zero Dark Thirty or Bourne Identity. All that shit like Pacific Rim and Captain America are pro-military, right wing bullshit.
What is next for Uwe Boll?
I want to finish the Rampage story with Rampage 3 and maybe do a Viking movie like Valhalla Rising, a movie that was really good.
