The Serpent – Cast & Crew Interviews

Interview with Eric Barbier the Director of The Serpent (Le Serpent)

What attracted you to this terrifying and captivating story of manipulation?
It all started from an English writer, Ted Lewis, the author of Plender, the book which The Serpent is based on. I discovered Lewis’ world, which is very dark and very violent, and absolutely unique.
The story is about a character who abuses another, to avenge events that happened during his childhood. And really it is a book which has touched me deeply inside. On the one hand because it talks about the wounds linked to the childhood and on the other hand because it forms part of these stories which function very well based on the pleasure that one takes by watching the hero being tortured.

How did you turn it into a film?
The experience which I gained on my previous films – for which I have affection but which I do not like – have forced me to consider that the scenario had to be at the absolute centre of the project.
Thus, for The Serpent the idea was to work differently. That is to say not to lose ourselves in the writing but to manage to keep a bit of distance, to repeat to ourselves the story from the beginning to the end and to question ourselves permanently and most of all without ever circumventing the obstacles.

What made you pair Yvan Attal with Clovis Cornillac?
I had Yvan Attal in mind since the beginning, as soon as we started to work on the script. He is an actor whom I’ve had the desire to film for a long time. When he accepted the film, I found myself in an ideal situation. He was very active in this it project and he is at the origin of my meeting with Clovis Cornillac, who impressed me in the Thomas Vincent Karnaval film. Clovis was perfect for the role.

Interview with Yvan Attal who plays Vincent Mandel in The Serpent (Le Serpent)

The film is captivating. How was the filming?
Filming was exhausting, physically and mentally. I needed energy to face this tough man.

Especially if this tough man is Clovis Cornillac!
No, with Clovis it was really simple! We’ve known each other now for about 15 years. But it was the first time that we worked together and it was very intense.

How did you connect with your character?
I tried to make up a story, one that you don’t see in the film. One that I tried to connect with my own story. For me, in my head Vincent Mendel has always had this dream to become an artist. He was a photographer; he travelled around South America and India to take his amazing pictures… Until that day when he met a girl, a ‘’bourgeoise’’, and he joined her family.
I thought to myself that maybe he was feeling guilty, bad about leaving his artist life just to be a ‘’bourgeois’’. He is upset, a very disappointed guy who is only doing photos for catalogues, a bit like an actor who suddenly realizes that he is not the one he was hoping to be. This divorce could have been his chance for a new start. There was only the children to get sorted, and for that he just had to trust the Law, and he could start everything from the beginning. But that is exactly where Plender is going to get him, putting him in a bad position in the eyes of the Law.

After being so involved in the film, how did you react when you saw it?
It was weird. In the places where I hurt myself I felt the pain again. It was like a sensory memory.
The film has a real atmosphere. It offers a real pleasure. There is a distinctive emotion coming out from the characters.

Interview with Clovis Cornillac who plays Joseph Plender in The Serpent (Le Serpent)

What were your first impressions when you explored the character of Plender?
Well, even before discovering my character I was impressed by the script The Serpent. I was really excited to hold a script so well written. For a Thriller it is very important that the text is written without any faults.

And the fact that your character is so terrifying?
That is what I liked about Plender. I wanted to get under the skin of this terrible man, full of anger, his robot side, this unbreakable creature, and feel his distress when his back is against the wall.

Where did you find Plender’s human side?
In his story, his childhood. We know how cruel children can be.

How did the filming go on with Eric Barbier?
I saw Le Brasier, I thought it was absolutely fantastic; I was impressed by his work. But, anyway it is fabulous to work with somebody like that, who knows exactly where he is going. He listens a lot to us, the actors, we can participate. He is a real professional.

Interview with Pierre Richard who plays Cendras in The Serpent (Le Serpent)

What gave you the desire to be in The Serpent?
Well, what I really liked in the script was the suspense. When I read it I was stuck to my chair. Page after page this thriller was very well built. It gave me shivers just by reading it and that is what I liked about it.
Concerning my character I thought ’’why me?’’ it was completely different to what I normally do. But Eric really wanted me to be in it and that touched me, it pleased me and I said yes.

How did Pierre Richard become Cendras?
For a long time everyone has known me with my long hair and a beard. First, in my every day life but also at the cinema, I never had to cut it. I’ve always heard that it was good like that and then suddenly I’m told ‘’you must be aware that you will have to shave and your hair is going to be cut’’. I hadn’t seen myself like this for a very long time. And actually when a saw the film for the first time I hardly recognized myself.

How was it to work with Eric Barbier?
This man is definitely a Director, that is for sure. In a few minutes I understood that he knew exactly what he wanted, concerning the camera, the set, the work of the actors…he is very talented. I felt that I could trust him and I felt safe.

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