Interview with Producer, Paul Zaentz

Every year at the Cannes Film Festival, dozens of new films see the light of day for the first time. But those who don’t attend in person might not know about the various screenings held of restored classic films. One of this year’s restorations was of Miloš Forman’s classic, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, made possible by Paul Zaentz, nephew of the film’s late producer, Saul Zaentz. Over the course of his long career, Paul Zaentz has produced iconic films like Amadeus, The English Patient, and The Talented Mr. Ripley. This week we had the opportunity to sit down with Zaentz to discuss the restoration, the film's return to American cinemas, the tumultuous intersection of film and politics in the United States, and remembering to never give up hope!

Credit: Eugenia Melian

Rua: "So today we are here with Mr. Zaentz, would you mind introducing yourself?"

Zaentz: "Hi, I'm Paul Zaentz, I'm a producer, I've been working in this crazy business since 1976. And right now we're in the Cannes Film Festival where Cuckoo's Nest is celebrating its 50th anniversary!"

Rua: "That's incredible! Now, as somebody who is very close to the film, what has it been like to see a new generation of people discover this film and respond so positively to it?"

Zaentz: "Well, Cuckoo's Nest is one of those iconic films. It deals with rebellion against authority. The book was written in '62 before the Vietnam War, and the movie came out in '75 at the end of the war but we were still feeling the effects in the United States, and in a way still going through that today. It's still so relevant, I met someone at our screening last night who had seen it for the first time and he said 'if I didn't know this film was 50 years old, I would think it's brand new!'"

Rua: "Exactly, that's what makes the film so special. At the first screening you had something very powerful to say about how you were supposed to do a special screening of your film, Amadeus at the Kennedy Center but it fell through because Donald Trump made himself head of the Kennedy Center, which for years has been a symbol of artistic freedom in the US. Now you can practically feel all creative freedom being stifled. You made sure to bring up during your speech that amazing films like Amadeus were made possible by extraordinary artists who happened to be gay, and queer people have been one of Trump's major targets. What importance do you feel diversity like that has in the film industry?"

Zaentz: “It has importance in every industry. Not just the film industry. I think a higher percentage of gay people going to the creative arts because they've been accepted there longer than in other industries.”

Rua: “I think you’re absolutely right. I'm sure that growing up a lot of these people turned to art and movies as a comfort from when they felt rejected from the world. Now, often hear that film is the most accessible art form and a lot of that is due to the availability of movie theaters as opposed to live theater or big concerts. Can you speak to the importance of seeing a film physically in a movie theater?"

Zaentz: "Well, when I'm making a movie, I can only think of it for the big screen, you know, the background action, the extras etc. When I'm working on projects that I know are going to be a TV series, I have to think, well, you know, a lot of people have 90-inch screens these days, some of the movie theaters are only a little bigger than that. But it's really sad that in Berkeley, California, there's not a single independent movie theater left. From a town that used to have like six or seven independent theaters. San Francisco has lost most of its independent screens, now it's these big multiplexes that when one of these ten-pole movies come out, if it has 14 screens, that movie will be playing on five of them. And we look online for movies every Friday, there's just nothing we want to see. So I tell my partner, Eugenia, we're going to drive an hour to the Rafael Theater in Marin County to watch movies, because that's what plays we want to see. It's a completely different experience. And when we go to New York, there's 12 independent screens within a 15-minute walk of our apartment. So there's definitely a big difference."

Rua: "You're definitely right about that. The other night at the premiere of the Cuckoo's Nest restoration, that was actually the first time I had seen it on a big screen and it had never brought me to tears before."

Zaentz: "Because you see, human beings are social animals. I mean, just seeing it in a theater, hearing other people's reactions, laughing with them, crying with them, booing, applauding. I mean, it's something you want to do. I mean, I can't stand it when I'm seeing movies, but I'm telling people, 'stop it, I've got to go to the bathroom,' 'stop it, I've got to go get food,' It's like, that's not watching a movie, you've got to give it your full attention."

Rua: "Only when you give a film your full attention will you see the brilliance of it. But that is such a sadness that California, truly the mother of American cinema is losing all of these theaters. But can you tell us more about the Cuckoo's Nest restoration that's returning to cinemas across the country soon?"

Zaentz: "Well, May 21st at Cannes was the world premiere of the restoration, and on June 13th it's going to play at the Academy Museum in their 1,000 seat theater. Then it's going to be in Balogna at the Piazza Maggiore, where we screened Amadeus last year for about 6,000 people. Then it will be released through Fathom Events on July 13th and 16th to about 1,000 theaters across the United States. I mean, people want to see Cuckoo's Nest on a big screen, it's got an important message that unfortunately still needs to be told, it's sad that we have to go through this pain again."

Rua: "It is. And on that note I'm interested on your perspective on the 100% tariffs Trump has just proposed to put on all non-domestically produced film. What are your thoughts on that?"

Zaentz: "It's another foolish thing said by a fool. He claims he's doing this because he wants more production in the US, well if that's the case then offer federal tax credit! The first thing I thought of was that this is just the first step before he starts demanding to approve scripts himself. He's not going to give anyone money that writes a movie that's against him."

Rua: "That literally just sent shivers down my spine I think you're unfortunately onto something here. But we've seen countless times before that film can be the catalyst for change. We saw this with Cuckoo's Nest, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now, can you speak to the importance of films that make audiences think?"

Zaentz: "Well, I made a film a few years ago called Coup 53 with Ralph Fiennes, and I quickly learned that 99.9% of Americans don't know that in 1953, Britain and the United States overthrew an Iranian President. A man who worshipped the United States and was a democratically elected secular leader, overthrown because of oil. Most Americans think that our history with Iran begins in 1979 when they took over our embassy but that was directly related to our coup in 1953. Just imagine if there was a democratic Iran in the Middle East, the whole world would be different. That coup was actually so successful that the next year, Eisenhower and the Dulles Brothers used it to overthrow the socialist government of Guatemala. There might not have been a Vietnam War if it weren't for the coup in Iran. The film ended up not getting distribution in the United States."

Rua: "That's...definitely something more Americans should know about, wow. I commend you for making these films that make audiences more informed on the world around them. I was wondering if you have a favorite film you've worked on, if that's not too hard of a question."

Zaentz: "I'd have to say three, Amadeus, The English Patient, and The Talented Mr. Ripley."

Rua: "I actually just watched The Talented Mr. Ripley for the first time a few weeks ago!"

Zaentz: "Can you imagine how hard it was for me spending six months scouting locations for that film? Trying to find the right beach, working in Venice where everything has to be moved by boat..."

Rua: "Well it's a beautifully shot film, your efforts were well spent."

Zaentz: "John Seale is a great cinematographer."

Rua: "And if you had one movie that you'd commend every young film student to watch what would it be?"

Zaentz: "Well, Cuckoo's Nest would be right up there. I mean, the acting...not just Jack and Louise but everybody in that cast including the background actors. And the score, it's just an amazing film. I'd say Animal House ranks up there for me as well, which is very different but I have a quite eclectic taste in film. Some Like It Hot is one of my favorite comedies. I think for some of the films he made, Stanley Kubrick should've won a Nobel Peace Prize."

Rua: "He's my favorite director of all time, since I was fourteen. It's funny you say Some Like It Hot because I recently saw somebody say it is the 'least transphobic film of all time.' Like at the end when a character takes off his wig and goes 'I'm a man' and the other guy goes 'well, nobody's perfect!'"

Zaentz: "Exactly!"

Rua: "And it just makes you think, if these people in the 50's can have that attitude about something they don't understand, what's our excuse now? Like when you look at Robert De Niro, one of his children just came out as trans and he's been nothing but supportive."

Zaentz: "As opposed to Elon Musk, what a despicable person."

Rua: "I'm glad you also think so. I just want to say on behalf of everyone else in the US who didn't vote for Trump, thank you so much for being so outspoken about your views and your commitment to film being used for good. It's important to remember that we will get through this tumultuous time because of artists like the team behind Cuckoo's Nest, and we'll come back even stronger. Thank you so much for your time today, Mr. Zaentz."

Zaentz: "Thank you for having me."

We want to extend our sincere gratitude once again to Mr. Zaentz and his partner, Eugenia Melian for making this interview possible at Cannes this year! Remember to catch a screening of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest: Restored, coming to an AMC near you this June, tickets for which can be found here. Thank you for tuning into Cinemasters.net and remember to never stop watching!