Ben Affleck Interview For ‘Argo’

Based on true events, Ben Affleck’s dramatic thriller ‘Argo’ chronicles the life-or-death covert operation to rescue six Americans, which unfolded behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis – the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. Affleck directs the film and stars in it alongside Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Kerry Bishé, Kyle Chandler, Rory Cochrane, Christopher Denham, Tate Donovan, Clea DuVall, Victor Garber, Zeljko Ivanek, Richard Kind, Scoot McNairy, Chris Messina, Michael Parks and Taylor Schilling.  ‘Argo’ is set for release October 12th. Check out what Ben Affleck had to say about the film at TIFF below.

I know you took Middle Eastern Studies in college, what was it like undertaking a piece that, I imagine, touches on themes and a time period you’re passionate about?

Ben Affleck: It was, it was my Major in College: Middle Eastern Studies. I’ve always been interested in it and I’ve always followed it. So when ’Argo’ came along, my passion to be a part of doing it I was like, “I’ve got a PHD in Middle Eastern Studies!” I made up all kinds of bullsh*t (laughs). But this was really in my zone of interest, very much. I actually wrote a couple of papers on the Iranian Revolution – although I’m sure they were terrible (laughs). But, I don’t know why it is, when you’re drawn to a field of study you are drawn to it. I don’t know if I can say I was technically a Major because I didn’t actually graduate. But, you know, how often do you get to make a movie on this subject matter, in particular in a world where some of the war films that have been made over the last ten years have been a little too depressing for audiences. But the truth is, Warner Bros took a chance on me to make a movie that was very unconventional, that had a lot of elements that could trip you up, could be a challenge to sell – and I think they’re confident in their ability to do that. They showed faith in me and I’m really, really grateful, as I got to make a movie I’m really proud of and that has themes in it that I’m very interested in. I’ve worked on movies that I didn’t feel that way, you know? And I know the difference.

Taking on a film like ’Argo’ where many people are familiar with the story ends, how was it crafting a thriller that keeps people on the edge of their seats?

Ben Affleck: I think it sounds harder for the director than it really is. You really just rely on a good screenplay that’s rooted in reality, and you rely on good actors where their performances are so credible that if you’re invested in them, you’re invested in what the stakes are from moment to moment. John Ford said, “Directing is 90% casting,” and it’s in evidence here. For example, what John Goodman and Alan Arkin were able to do, in terms of taking the Hollywood satire element of the movie and keeping it realistic while making it funny, that was incredibly challenging – but necessary. Really to stitch the movie together so it didn’t just feel like a series of shorts. You know, one about the CIA, one that was a comedy about Hollywood and one that was a sort of Costa-Gavras movie. In that sense you totally rely on actors. And I got a great script that I thought actors would respond to because it was smart. I got very very lucky.

For you, how much responsibility do you think a director has in making a dramatic film fit to the historical events themselves. We know feature films are not documentaries, and even documentaries are just sort of fragments of the truth. So in terms of trying to create a narrative, what responsibility did you have as the director of a piece like ‘Argo’?

Ben Affleck: As you say, there is a clear divide between documentaries where you expect a stricter adherence to facts and truth and history. With our movie, we say ‘Based on a True Story’- I learnt this from lawyers – rather than ‘This is a True Story’, so it’s understood that we’re allowed to take some dramatic licence. So, for example, at the beginning, the house guests went from Place A to Place B to Place C, and it would have been a lot of shoe leather. So, we kind of compressed to where they went straight to the Canadian Ambassador’s.

You know, in terms of making a movie and sort of being truthful about it, I think there’s a spirit of truth, and there’s sort of literally what happens. We got really lucky, because most of what happened in this movie is extremely compelling, and the characters were very interesting, so it made it fun and a pleasure. And I could actually rely on that. I’d have questions and say , “I don’t know, should it look this way, should it look that way?” And we’d go, “Well, how did it really look? Let’s look at the actual material.” So, it was actually kind of a crutch to me.

‘Argo’ is your second movie pulling double duty as both director and actor, how challenging was that compared to your work on ‘The Town’?

Ben Affleck: It kind of sounds like ass-kissing, but the truth is that it’s a lot easier to be directing when you don’t have to deal with the actors at all, you know? Everybody showed up, they knew what they were doing, they were really good, and often times they came up with ideas that were much more interesting than mine. They all came in and made it great and made the job feel really, really easy. I kept thinking, “In a way I’m going to get credit for this! For these guys work!” (Laughs).

I have to ask, how was it growing the hair?

Ben Affleck: I hated it, Alan Arkin got away with keeping his current hairdo (laughs). But I had to grow out this kind of Davy Jones, sort of Barry Gibb thing that I had on my head. I knew I was going to be doing the movie fair enough in advance that I could grow it out. Everybody really went for it, there was no vanity with the actors – Rory Cochrane with his moustache and his wig, and everybody else with the moustache and the glasses, there was no, “No, I gotta look good in the movie.” It was all, “How much can I look like the real people.”