M Night Shyamalan feels that his film, Glass, is impactful because it creates a realistic scenario for the audience through the emotions its characters portray
What was it like to create the third version with previous characters?
I would say that it was definitely a strange venture. My directorial career has been basically made on original content-based films, so in each film, I try to kind of invent a new tone and a new life — a world that these characters are living in. So it was really different for me to kind of bring characters from two different films together which I had invented earlier and then create a third version.
What are your thoughts about the battle between the good and the evil?
I think my favourite thing about Glass is its idea of the good and the evil. It asks a range of questions — Are there only bad people? Are there good people or such a change is always on a continuum? Are there a mixture of people?
It is constantly vacillating between those two extremes. Well, I feel that way about the film. I think it’s hopefully one of its great, great assets. It has a sense of redefining what a villain is and what a hero is and differentiate between an antagonist and a protagonist in a different way altogether. The way that it can make you feel that we could be either of those things as a person is one of the biggest things.
Tell us about the marginalised characters in the film.
Glass is really all about marginalised characters. It is about them in search of a place in this world, which they feel is important. It is also about the fact that they realise how equally important they are even though the world has told them or always made them feel otherwise.
How did you make fictional characters have real emotions?
I think things that are most effective in the fictional world is when we imbue them with nonfictional emotions, which resonate. I think it’s a powerful factor about a film and impacts the most when the audience is able to feel that verisimilitude in their emotions as well.
Tell us about your method of finding the cinematic vision?
My cinematic vision is not better or worse than others. It’s kind of solidified into really being able to visualise exactly how fast the camera needs to move or when is it moving it? When are we booming up and when are we not! Why are you holding there to have a philosophy behind all of those things and know it inside and out before you shoot the scene.
Tell us about your relationship with Samuel L Jackson and Bruce Willis?
Sam and I had been in touch. It’s like we see each other at times but not on regular basis. However, Bruce and I have actually stayed in touch over the years. Our families have stayed close. He has been like a big brother to me since I was a little kid. He’s the one who took all the big risks in my life and protected me. So there’s always a special place for him. It was really special to work with him again. I feel you might see that in the film as well...
(The film premieres on November 8 at 12 pm and 9 pm on Star Movies.)