Young actor Jesse Eisenberg is known for playing complex, analytical
characters, such as in his previous films "The Double" and "The Social
Network."For his latest role in the eco thriller "Night Moves," he takes on another troubled soul, this time fighting for a better future for the planet.
"The character's in the movie, arguably their hearts and minds are in the right place. I would say their flaws, that they have a kind of not fully realized view of what the consequences could possibly be from their actions," explains the actor.
"My character views himself as a solider of war against environmental destruction and so he thinks any kind of damage caused by his actions is justified collateral damage rather than a reason to stop. And I think that's a sentiment echoed in a lot of kind of extreme political movements is that if something bad were to happen, that would be a necessary collateral damage for an otherwise lofty and righteous goal."....
"Night Moves" is directed and co-written by Kelly Reichardt ("Meeks Cutoff," "Wendy and Lucy.")
It follows three environmentalists as they plot to blow up a hydroelectric dam.
Eisenberg plays Josh, a middle class farm worker who will go to any lengths to protect the earth.
To help get into character, the "Now You See Me" actor went that extra mile and took to living in a yurt before filming began.
"I asked the people who run the farm if I could live in the yurt for a bit before filming and work on the farm and it was great," recalls Eisenberg.
"The main thing I was trying to understand was the lifestyle and the pace, because I live in New York City where everything is, I don't know, whatever the quicker word for immediate is. And so, being on a farm and having to kind of walk to the outhouse, which is 10 minutes away or to the kitchen which is 20 minutes away, just ends up kind of encouraging a different pace and a different appreciation for living in a kind of slower and more meditative way."
As well as his environmental surroundings, Eisenberg also notes the importance of researching the characters, especially as they are based on everyday people who are fighting to protect the planet.
The actor feels that sometimes the wrong label can be given to these activists.
"Doing a movie like this where you're doing something about a real issue, that real people are currently involved in, it's I think like important to understand who those real people are just so you can see the kind of cross section of psychology behind what these people are doing," he says.
"There's no shortage of media about people who are environmental activists. They're considered terrorists, they're considered enemies of the state, which I can understand only in so far as like they end up doing things that destroy property. But they're I think strangely grouped with people who have, you know, the sole intention of killing people and of hurting innocent civilians, which of course they explicitly don't."
"Night Moves" also stars Dakota Fanning and Peter Sarsgaard.
It will be released in the U.K. on 29 August 2014.
