Billy Wilder habla

Billy Wilder Speaks (2006)

*** (out of 4)

Director Volker Schlondorff interviews legendary director Billy Wilder over a two week period and gets his thoughts on his films, writing and various other things. Overall it's a nice chat with Wilder but several times the director goes off topic with stuff that's not really interesting. I hoped there would be more of a commentary on his films but that's not the case, although he does have a few good thoughts on Monroe, Bogart doing comedy and other things.

This is now available on DVD and can also be seen on TCM.

Billy Wilder was a genius when it came to writing and directing films. There's no doubt about that and listening to him reminisce makes this documentary worth seeing--particularly for film buffs like myself. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to him talking with Volker Schlöndorff ("The Tin Drum"). However, from a technical point of view, the film really sucks as well. Let me explain. There are a could serious problems which could have and should have been dealt with--especially since the film was made by a director about a director. The conversation often lacks a systematic focus. Often, the chronology of what they are talking about is all mixed up and you'd think there'd be some sense of cohesion to the conversation in the film. There isn't...and it is odd. The total effect is like overhearing a couple guys talking but only catching a bit here and there.

Maybe I'm crazy -- entirely possible -- but this seems to me to be identical to "Billy Wilder, wie haben Sie's gemacht?" which is another documentary containing the same interview. I'm not saying it's not edited differently or whatever - I don't know the material that well - but the interview with Wilder seemed the same. He speaks a great deal in German and tells some wonderful stories about Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, the making of Sunset Boulevard and Sabrina, and the films he made about the concentration camps after the war that were shown in Germany.

Wilder was a marvelous raconteur speaking in English or German, and his explanation of why he used "Isn't it Romantic" in so many Paramount films is hilarious, as are his stories of the first showing of Sunset Boulevard and trying to get Monroe to say It's me, Sugar," instead of "Sugar, it's me" in "Some Like it Hot." The stories are unforgettable, which is why I know I already heard them in "Billy Wilder, wie haben Sie's gemacht?" Well worth seeing if you're a fan of Wilder or just a film buff. He was a true genius and a lively personality.

The maker of this documentary and director Billy Wilder originally intended what was filmed here to just be a dry run of what would be the later actual interview portion of a documentary on Wilder's career. The two sit down in Wilder's crowded office and Wilder just starts talking about the various aspects of his long career. The one stipulation that Wilder made was that this footage not be released in his lifetime. Wilder and the interviewer go back and forth between German and English - depending upon what language best expresses the points they wish to make - with helpful subtitles for those of us who speak English when either speaks German.

Wilder says some things that don't surprise me - for example that Jack Lemmon was the definition of a professional. Wilder would not have used him so much and Lemmon would not have been such a great performer had that not been the case. However, Wilder's insights into Marilyn Monroe were new to me. He said while making "Some Like it Hot" that sometimes they would spend all day trying to get one take in which Marilyn had just one line, to the point where he wanted to pin the line to the wall so she could just read it. Other days she would come in and have pages of dialogue memorized. He also had some interesting things to say about making films on the Holocaust immediately after the war and the impact they had on German audiences at the time.

At any rate, this dry run turned out to be so good that it became the actual interview. I highly recommend it to people who are interested in Billy Wilder's career, since it is almost entirely Billy Wilder talking about the projects he worked on, his philosophies of filmmaking, and the people with which he worked. It's a fascinating documentary.

Oscar-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Billy Wilder is interviewed in 1988, speaking rapidly in both English and German, touching on his perception of life through the camera lens via his childhood in war-torn Europe. Of course no Wilder conversation would be complete without behind-the-scenes stories on his many classic films, and wily Wilder seems happy to oblige our fascination with titles like "The Seven Year Itch", "Some Like It Hot", and "The Apartment". His recollections of working twice with actress Marilyn Monroe are particularly interesting, as are his off-camera skirmishes with Humphrey Bogart ("He did mock my accent..but everybody mocks my accent.") and James Cagney ("We were not of the same political persuasion."). Wilder is modest about his talents, grateful for the triumphs but well aware of the hurdles he had to maneuver to get his best work accomplished. Film historians will find this a wonderful documentation.