Int: Cecile De France

Last Updated on July 28, 2021

The
Arrow interviews Cecile De France

High Tension was my favorite film
of last year and it’s FINALLY getting its North American release
this Friday, June 10 2005.
One of the film’s many strengths was the stellar performance by
French cutie Cecile De France (who
actually went on to be my Mistress of 2004). Raw and
credible, Cecile blew me away and I became an instant fan. So it was
with great delight that I spoke with Cecile over the phone about her
High Tension experience and here’s what she had to say….in her
very cute French accent…

Are you a horror fan by nature?

I prefer thrillers but when it’s
thriller/horror I like it. The gore is not very important to me, I
prefer suspense. But I like dark films.

Name me one of your favorite dark
films?

My favorite is The Hitcher.

Nice! That’s my favorite film too!

It’s great!

I agree! So what was it about the
High Tension screenplay that got your interest when you read it?

It was a very good script, I
devoured it, and I got really scared. I read it like a good book
that you never want to end because it gives you real thrills. After
I read it, I called Alexandre Aja the director and I said “Okay,
I’ll do it”.

So you didn’t have to audition or
anything?

No he asked me directly.

Groovy! So throughout the shoot, you
had to go to very dark and ugly places, was it hard on you as a
person?

Yes because it was low budget film.
The shoot was only at night and in the cold. We were shooting in
Romania, because it’s cheaper, we knew that the conditions would be
hard. So I prepared myself with physical training for two reasons,
because we knew it would be hard so Alexandre wanted me to develop
my stamina. And also for the character’s look. We wanted my face to
be more angular to emphasize the dark parts of Marie’s mind.

During the shoot did you have a hard
time to let go of the part emotionally?

No, it’s very funny. When you’re
doing these kinds of films, on the set you laugh a lot because you
go out of your trailer and you are covered in blood, scars. So
you’re smoking a cigarette and drinking your coffee while being
drenched in blood. It’s funny! I killed a lot of time with makeup
artist Giannetto De Rossi (who did everything practical), looking at
how he did the scars. I observed him a lot. It was very interesting
for me to see this art being applied.

What would you say was your most
physically demanding scene to do?

In the green house Philippe Nahon
put his finger in my mouth and then I let out a scream, I don’t know
where it came from but for me, it was the climax of the battle with
evil. It was so exciting to play this kind of scene. I never played
a role that was so violent and I liked to work more with my body
than with my head. I’m from the theater, and there I looked for my
character with my body. In this film there isn’t a lot of dialogue,
so I did the same thing.

So if there would be a High Tension
sequel and they asked you to do it, would you accept?

I don’t know. I’d have to read the
script.

But if the screenplay is good you
would consider it?

I don’t know because I think this
film is a conjunction of many things. It was a low budget film, it
was with Giannetto De Rossi, Alexander was very young and I was very
excited, because I was starting to work. It’s a conjecture of many
things. If we do a sequel, it would be too far away from that
nature.

It wouldn’t be the same thing.

No, it would be with more money,
maybe not with the same people, it wouldn’t be the same. The film
has its identity because it had all those elements to it and it was
made in a rock and roll type of way for two months in very rough
work conditions. So if we’d do it, it wouldn’t be the same
conditions or the same result.

In what films will we see you next?

I’ll be in Cedric Kalpisch’s The
Russian Dolls which is coming out on the 15 of June in Europe.

Last question, what was the first
drink that you downed at the High Tension Wrap party?

We were in Romany so I drank some
Vodka!

LOL! I’m done! Thanks for your time
Cecile

Thank you!

I’d
like to thank
Cecile for taking the time chat with
me and for the bang on show that was her stint in High Tension. This
one is a must see guys! Htt them movie theaters on Friday! You won’t
regret it!

READ MY HIGH TENSION REVIEW HERE

VISIT THE OFFICIAL HIGH TENSION SITE HERE