Matt Reeves talks Hitchcockian approach to Batman

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Earlier this year it was announced that DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (and the upcoming sequel) director Matt Reeves would be helming the solo Batman movie after Ben Affleck decided to step down. He’s a solid choice for the gig, but some were hoping Warner Bros. would pick a director with, say, "gritter" roots. During an interview, however, he mentioned one particular influence that may make you realize he’s the perfect choice to take on the Bat.

While speaking with CNET Reeves was asked about his approach to the upcoming BATMAN movie, and he spoke about how important it is for him to tell a story that immerses you into the perspective of the main character – something he picked up watching the films of none other than Alfred Hitchcock:

For me, point of view is really important. I want to make sure you are experiencing something from the perspective of the main character in the story. I'm a huge Hitchcock fan — I like the idea of being immersed in that perspective. Movies for me are about empathy. The idea is to make you, the audience, feel what the character feels.

Widely considered the greatest filmmaker ever to hold a camera, Hitchcock was an expert at drawing audiences into the psychological state of his characters, whether it’s fueled by fear, paranoia, lust, etc. One can think of several scenes in VERTIGO alone that demonstrate Hitchcock's mastery, like when Jimmy Stewart is tailing someone in his car, and the camera often cuts to look out the front window so you can get into the same visual perspective as him.

Reeves may not be the most stylistic of directors, and isn’t one for Zack Snyder-esque action scenes or massive CGI set pieces. He’s worked with CGI actions scenes before, yes, but they’ve all been anchored in the emotional state of the character – as evidenced in DAWN, and even going back to CLOVERFIELD – and as a result feel more grounded than typical blockbuster fare. Getting into the emotional mentality of Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) is extremely important to doing a great BATMAN movie, and Reeves is a perfect choice to flesh that out which, if we're talking some inevitale Batman ass-kicking scenes, could even result in some of the best action scenes ever in a Batman movie.

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES arrives July 14, and Batman can be seen next in JUSTICE LEAGUE on November 17.

Source: CNET

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