Definitely, time is relative. And the proof is Richard Gere. Almost 45 years after he and his Armani suit became a myth in American Gigolo, there he is. Perfectly identical to himself. One would say he is immutable. Now he returns hand in hand with, precisely, Paul Schrader, the same director of that early 80s totem that made him the global star he is. Oh Canada is the title of the film based on Russell Banks' latest novel in which the 75-year-old actor brings to life a film director at the end of his life. Gere speaks softly, but clearly; he sprinkles the conversation with words in Spanish, and does not hesitate to declare himself a fan of his wife's homeland where he currently resides. "I like everything about Spain."
How was the reunion with Schrader after so many years?
Paul and I have remained friends all this time. He is one of those guys who lives and breathes cinema. There is nothing fake about him. He knows what to do at every moment with a script, an actor, and a budget. And I consider myself the same: a film animal. We shot the movie in 17 days.
American Gigoloturned him into the star he is right now. Do you feel that all your expectations in this profession have been met?
I have never planned something like a career. I don't know what that is. The only thing I am sure of is that I like making movies. I maintain a childlike enthusiasm for my profession. And that's enough for me.
Do you regret anything?
No. Every time I could have made a mistake, it has actually been another path that has opened up.
At some point, you mentioned that for your role in the movie, you were inspired by your father's death...
Yes. My father died before we started filming. He was a month away from turning 101. I used his image and my relationship with him a lot to compose the character. Having your father in a wheelchair and dealing with daily care, with disorientation... It was a cathartic process. In any case, my father was a kind, gentle, and very sociable guy. Very, very different from Leonard, my character, who is a self-centered narcissist very aware of himself as an artist.
Is there any of that artist's narcissism in you?
Yes, undoubtedly. It's not something I take too seriously, but it's innate in anyone who is in the film industry. I trust that hopefully it won't end up being malignant.
What is your relationship with your memories, with what we could call your legacy?
They are there, and I try not to judge the past at all. Also, over time, you learn to distrust memory. Not long ago, I was watching a Kurosawa movie with my 24-year-old son. I worked with him on one of his last films in 1991 [Rhapsody in August]. My son asked me what he was like, and my memory is that he was like a giant. I mean physically. Then, during a move, I stumbled upon a photo of us together. He was the same height as me, but in my memory, he was huge.
The movie talks about a very specific moment in the history of the United States where a man is able to desert the army for his ideals. It would seem that things have changed a lot and maybe for the worse...
The movie is set in 1967. I am not unaware of what is happening because I was 18 years old at the time. Then, the first draft since World War II was carried out. Many like me could request a deferment for University. And we did. In any case, it was unthinkable for me the possibility of having to kill someone. To shoot someone who is a complete stranger? But what madness is that! That's why the possibility of fleeing to Canada was always there.
In fact, I was asking about the conservative wave in your country after the elections won by Donald Trump. A wave that is spreading throughout Europe...
The curious thing is that most of these idiots who now govern the world are from my generation. Trump may be a bit older. But he or this other Orban come from a time when we believed it was possible to make a better world and a much more habitable planet together. But I imagine that to reach this conclusion, a deep core of wisdom, a minimal understanding of reality is needed, which these people lack. So you have all these powerful cretins in charge with a complete lack of empathy towards others.
You live in Spain, you are married to a Spanish woman, what do you like least about this country?
Honestly, I like everything about Spain. I am unable to say something that displeases me.
I don't believe you.
My wife and I have been together for 11 years. I remember that at the beginning of our relationship, she was delighted to come with me to the United States. She was convinced it was the best country in the world. That's what they constantly tell us. Everything was fine until she began to realize some very dark things about my country. How is it possible that there is no public healthcare if you declare yourself the leader of the world? You can't. She asked me that constantly. "But isn't there medical care if you don't pay for it?" And I had to explain to her that every time something similar is attempted, the Republicans block it. "And the guns?" she asked. And the same. There can be all kinds of school shootings, and nothing is done to prevent it. Logically, if you have children and can afford to move somewhere else, you don't want to live with that anguish.
And yet, the trend is to imitate the American model...
It's terrible that a few, who are the minority, infect others with wrong and false ideas. That's what's happening.
I am reminded of the recent murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of UnitedHealthcare, on the streets of New York...
There is something dark at the core of the United States that may have to do with its foundation. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that the first people who arrived in the United States were those who didn't fit in Europe. At the root of everything is a very individualistic conception of life. We are individuals who have never had a very clear idea of life in society. Yes, we were capable of great achievements like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution itself, but our society is built on slavery, and we have not yet been able to put our consciences in order.