Saoirse Ronan takes a walk down memory lane as she rewatches scenes from her classic works including 'Atonement,' 'Lady Bird,' 'The Grand Budapest Hotel,' 'Hanna,' 'Little Women,' and 'Blitz.'BLITZ is now playing in select theaters. Streaming November 22 on Apple TV+, https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/blitz/umc.cmc.1ivowfwigmx4dmfii3xekmoaq
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00:00You're telling me that you want to see somebody knifed right in front of you.
00:03He barely saw that.
00:05I want to go where culture is, like New York.
00:07Or at least Connecticut or New Hampshire.
00:09Where writers live in the woods.
00:11It's so good.
00:13Hi, I'm Saoirse Ronan and today I'm going to be watching scenes from my career.
00:17So, here we go.
00:30What a dopey face.
00:46I'll pause it there.
00:47Because what I want to do is talk about the dress that I'm wearing in this.
00:50I had two dresses. A total of two dresses for Atonement.
00:54Because I'm only in one section of the movie.
00:58Which takes place over, I think it's a day.
01:01Or three days. I think it's a day.
01:03And obviously everyone else was older and they got to wear these beautiful gowns.
01:06And they were so gorgeous.
01:08And I had my very plain, white, kind of linen dress.
01:12And then this was my fancier dress.
01:14And I felt so good about myself when I got to put my party dress on.
01:18It was designed by Jacqueline Duren.
01:20Who is just the greatest costume designer in the world.
01:23This was our first project that we did together.
01:25And we've continued to work together throughout the years.
01:27On at least three of the movies that are here.
01:30So, yeah. Just wanted to comment on the dress.
01:35Oh boy.
01:43Actually, now something's up.
01:49That was the first time I found my light.
01:52This is some of Seamus McGarvey's handiwork.
01:55Who was our cinematographer.
01:57And he taught me a lot about using light to my advantage.
02:02Just how to find the light and how to sort of tell a story with it.
02:10Acting, acting.
02:13Oh no.
02:17Why am I laughing?
02:22Oh my god.
02:26Just like, honestly, the most awkward thing ever.
02:28And I don't even, like, I knew what was going on.
02:32But it just doesn't fully sink in when you're that age.
02:36Also, I will say kudos to Joe Wright.
02:40He was very, very protective over me.
02:42Throughout the whole experience on Atonement.
02:46Because it was such an adult subject matter.
02:49And there was language that I definitely couldn't have been exposed to.
02:54And he was really wonderful with me.
02:56And I remember that we shot all of my reaction before I ever saw anything.
03:04And then I think Ciara and James just came in for that one really awkward bit.
03:10And they found it really funny.
03:12I can't remember what I was looking at.
03:14I feel like a lot of the directors that I was working with really early on.
03:18Because it was either make-believe or we were working with green screen.
03:22Or it was something that was very mature and explicit that I couldn't be exposed to at that age.
03:27Directors talked to me a lot.
03:29And they described what I was supposed to be saying.
03:31So I think that actually really formed the way in which I work.
03:37And my relationship to storytelling in film.
03:42So much of it is just going on in my head.
03:44And I think it really comes from that time.
03:46Those first few years where it was very much me and the director.
03:50And them sort of creating this image for me.
03:52Just through what they were saying.
03:54The experience of watching something when you're an adult is completely different.
03:58Because the movies that I made when I was growing up.
04:00They were mature.
04:01They were not children's films at all.
04:03I think I made one, two kids movies.
04:06And the rest were incredibly mature.
04:08So even with something like The Lovely Bones.
04:12I think the sort of gravity of that really didn't hit me at the time.
04:16And I actually watched a sequence from it recently.
04:19And I found it incredibly disturbing.
04:21I didn't want to watch it again.
04:23With Atonement, I haven't watched it in years.
04:26But I would love to.
04:28And I think any footage that I've seen of that movie.
04:31Since becoming a little bit older.
04:34And more appreciative of how a film is actually made.
04:37It does make me realise how special that film was.
04:42The Grapes of Wrath
04:45The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
04:52Our college trip took 21 hours and 5 minutes.
04:58Laurie Metcalfe is the best actor in the world.
05:01If Laurie Metcalfe was walking down the street.
05:04Or you interacted with her in public.
05:06And you didn't know she is who she is.
05:09You just wouldn't think she's an actor.
05:11She just has this realness to her.
05:13That I appreciated so much.
05:15I was so, so terrified doing Lady Bird.
05:19I was so convinced that I was just going to screw this up.
05:24And that's not false modesty.
05:26It was very real.
05:28And so to be with older actors like Laurie and Tracy Letts.
05:33Was just this incredible anchor for me during that time.
05:40And I just felt so in my head.
05:42So yeah, I love her.
05:55The car scene was one of my favourite scenes to shoot.
05:58Because we actually shot this near the end of filming.
06:02So the fear wasn't quite as strong anymore.
06:06I sort of numbed myself somehow throughout the whole process.
06:11And it was a scene that I could really make sense out of.
06:15I could relate to it so much as I feel like so many people can.
06:18We've all had conversations like this with our parents or people close to us.
06:22Your father's company is laying off people right and left.
06:24Did you even know that?
06:25No, of course you don't.
06:26Because you don't think about anybody but yourself.
06:32An immaculate heart is already...
06:35An immaculate fart.
06:45He barely saw that.
06:47I want to go where culture is like New York.
06:49Or at least Connecticut or New Hampshire.
06:51Where writers live in the woods.
06:53It's so good.
06:54Mom.
06:56Because you wouldn't let me practice enough.
06:58Or the way that you don't work.
07:00You're not even worth state tuition, Christine.
07:02My name is Lady Bird.
07:03Well, actually it's not and it's ridiculous.
07:05Call me Lady Bird like you said you would.
07:07You should just go to City College.
07:09You know, with your work ethic.
07:10Just go to City College and then to jail.
07:12And then back to City College.
07:13And then maybe you'd learn to pull yourself up.
07:15And I'd expect everybody to.
07:17The way to deal with that.
07:19It was not the way to deal with that situation.
07:21I love that scene so much.
07:22I've always really, really loved doing car scenes.
07:26Because nobody can get to you.
07:28Like once you're on the road.
07:30Usually you'll go out and you'll shoot for like an hour.
07:33A couple of hours.
07:34So nobody's doing checks on you.
07:36Like hair and makeup checks.
07:38The director can speak to you but only via walkie-talkie.
07:40Which is fun.
07:42You get to slate before a take.
07:44Which is also just really fun.
07:46And I still love doing that.
07:48There's like no one that's had a bigger impact on me.
07:50Than Greta.
07:52But I was desperate to impress her.
07:54And for her to love me.
07:56And I think Lady Bird was like.
07:58A really incredible experience for both of us.
08:02But it was like intense.
08:04I think for the two of us in a way.
08:06That it probably wasn't for anyone else.
08:08On that job.
08:10It was her first movie on her own.
08:12It was her directorial debut.
08:14It was my first time.
08:16In my opinion.
08:18Doing comedy as like a young adult.
08:20Which is just a genre that I rate so highly.
08:23And I really wanted to do a good job at that.
08:25And I think I got really in my head about it for a while.
08:27I loved her.
08:29And I was such a huge fan of hers.
08:31From before we actually worked together.
08:33So you know.
08:35We loved each other so much.
08:37But I don't think it was until Little Women.
08:39That we like.
08:41It was like we needed to.
08:43Not get Lady Bird out of the way.
08:45But we needed to like go through all those growing pains.
08:47On Lady Bird.
08:49So then we could just be like.
08:51But yeah.
08:53I just wanted her to love me the whole way through.
08:55Which is exhausting.
08:57Actually.
09:03On our third formal rendezvous.
09:05I had asked for her hand in marriage.
09:07And she had agreed.
09:09Oh yeah.
09:11That was the most aggressive kiss.
09:13I've ever had on screen.
09:15It kind of hurt.
09:17Tony like went.
09:20He went for my face.
09:22It sort of.
09:24It felt like.
09:26Did it feel like tonsil tennis.
09:28Or like a battle of the mouths.
09:30That's kind of what it felt like.
09:32It was very full on.
09:34We'll have done it a lot.
09:36Because Wes does a lot of takes.
09:38So I can't remember how many.
09:40I actually forgot about this scene.
09:42But yeah.
09:44We'll have done it quite a few times.
09:46No one knew of course.
09:48No one would have cared.
09:50We were each completely on our own in the world.
09:52And we were deeply in love.
10:00My birthmark is in the shape of Mexico.
10:02Here.
10:04It was so cold that day.
10:06And I was sick.
10:08I'm pretty sure.
10:10And on that job.
10:12You would sometimes spend like a week.
10:14Not doing anything.
10:17But you couldn't really leave.
10:19So you were really desperate.
10:21To get back to work.
10:23And very grateful when you got to do a scene.
10:25And where we shot this.
10:27Was in a place called Gerlitz.
10:29Which is in Germany.
10:31But it's right on the Polish German border.
10:33So we would be there.
10:35We'd be there for like.
10:37I don't know.
10:39I was there for a couple of months.
10:41But you could spend like a week.
10:43Just not doing anything.
10:45I have a copy on my own as well.
10:47I ruined the surprise.
10:49I suppose.
10:51I'll go ahead and open it anyway.
10:53I'm pretty sure the way Tony opened the book.
10:55Was discussed quite a bit.
10:57Me flipping the book over.
10:59And him then opening it.
11:01The timing of that was planned out.
11:03But I mean everything was planned out.
11:05Everything was very much considered.
11:07Ahead of time.
11:09For my dearest darling treasured cherished Agatha.
11:11Whom I worship.
11:14It was the first time that I ever used.
11:16My Irish accent in a movie.
11:18And I think the great thing about.
11:20Making a Wes Anderson film.
11:22Is that he's not kind of bogged down.
11:24By like social norms or anything.
11:26Because it's you know hyper real.
11:28You don't really have to follow the same rules.
11:30So when I met him for the first time.
11:32It may have even been this scene.
11:34Because I don't have a lot of dialogue scenes in this.
11:36And myself and Wes.
11:38Read it with one another.
11:40And he got me to try it in American first.
11:42He was like okay try it in English.
11:44Then I'd try it in English.
11:46Do your own accent.
11:48And then I did my own accent.
11:50And he seemed to think that was a good fit.
11:52So we went with Irish.
11:54And I wasn't actually at a point yet.
11:56Where I loved using my own accent.
11:58That came later.
12:00But yes this was the first time.
12:02I was Irish in a movie.
12:04I think the more confident I became.
12:06As an actor.
12:08The less I felt I needed to.
12:11Completely distance myself from the character.
12:13That I was playing.
12:15I think that was really helpful when I was starting out.
12:17And a lot of people feel this way.
12:19That you know you sort of think.
12:21Well acting is you playing someone.
12:23Completely different to yourself.
12:25And that's not untrue.
12:27But the older you get.
12:29And I think the more just life experience you have.
12:31The more you want to incorporate some of that.
12:33Into your character.
12:35So I'm definitely more.
12:37Enthusiastic about using my own accent now.
12:39Because there's just a freedom that you get from it.
12:41That you don't get with doing another accent.
12:49It's okay.
12:51You want me to give her something?
12:53I think that might be necessary.
12:55Michelle Dockery.
12:57Joran Downton Abbey as well.
12:59Abort.
13:01Open up.
13:03I repeat agent abort.
13:05So cool.
13:09Oh my god.
13:11Hammer.
13:15I loved doing this.
13:17I don't know what that says about me.
13:19But I loved it.
13:23I remember with that shot that just went by.
13:25They built the camera into the wall.
13:27So you see where all of those little.
13:29Lenses are.
13:31They took that out.
13:33In that little shot.
13:35And they put the camera in there instead.
13:38It was 360 around the whole room.
13:40Which was just incredibly cool.
13:42Again that's what I've really learned.
13:44From working with Joe Wright.
13:46Because he uses cinematography.
13:48And camera work.
13:50In quite a choreographed way.
13:52My relationship with the camera.
13:54And the sort of dance between me and it.
13:56Really developed from working with him.
14:08It was great.
14:10It was really good fun.
14:12I had this stunt coordinator called Jeff Amada.
14:14Who I trained with for months.
14:16I got to learn how to use a Luger pistol.
14:18Which is really hard to use.
14:20Very old.
14:22And I learned that professionals.
14:24Don't ever go around with their gun like this.
14:26They always keep it down.
14:28Because then if anyone comes around the corner.
14:30And they start to raise it up.
14:32Then you're always going to hit a bit of them.
14:34Not that I'm encouraging anyone to use guns.
14:36But in a movie like this.
14:38It's helpful to know that kind of stuff.
14:50No don't.
14:52It's no use Jo.
14:54I've loved you ever since I've known you.
14:56I couldn't help it.
14:58And I tried to show you wouldn't let me.
15:00Which is fine.
15:02But I must make you hear now.
15:05Please don't.
15:07He gave up billiards for you Jo.
15:09I'm happy I did.
15:11It's fine.
15:13And I waited.
15:15And I never complained.
15:17I figured you'd love me Jo.
15:19I'm always going to be so influenced by Greta.
15:21Especially when we're working together.
15:23Even when we're not.
15:25Some of that starts to come out.
15:27Those same mannerisms.
15:29That I think I've found from working with her.
15:31Let's be happy together Jo.
15:33I can't say yes truly.
15:35So I'm not going to say it at all.
15:37And you'll see that I'm right eventually.
15:39And you'll thank me for it.
15:41When we did the camera tests.
15:43Before we started filming.
15:45It was completely in costume.
15:47And we had a full set behind us.
15:49And we shot on location.
15:51And it all just felt quite real.
15:53And there was.
15:55There was like a movement.
15:57Or there was like an energy.
15:59This sort of like.
16:02This sort of seriousness.
16:04That seemed to come out that day.
16:06That both Greta and I really responded to.
16:08I think I had so much energy on that job.
16:10I don't think I'd done anything else that year.
16:12So I was so desperate to get back on set.
16:14And was so excited about.
16:16Getting the chance to play Jo Marsh.
16:18It was just like a dream come true.
16:20Listen.
16:22You'll find some lovely.
16:24Accomplished girl.
16:26Who will love you and adore you.
16:28And she's going to make a fine mistress.
16:30But I wouldn't.
16:32I never ran out of this.
16:34This energy.
16:36And that seemed to come out in every scene.
16:38And it really started to tie into her.
16:40Her kind of story overall.
16:42Which is that like.
16:44She's destined for something else.
16:46She needs to get out.
16:48She's constantly thinking.
16:50And buzzing.
16:52And inspired.
16:54And yeah.
16:56I think when you marry all these ideas together.
16:59You can really tell a story there.
17:01With this scene in particular.
17:03As you can see.
17:05It's on quite a severe slant on the hill.
17:07And we had a massive crane that day.
17:09Which we didn't get every day.
17:11But we had it that day.
17:13We had probably like an hour and a half.
17:15To shoot the whole scene.
17:17Because we were kind of going into magic hour.
17:19So the sun was kind of slowly starting to set.
17:21And we were losing light.
17:23Literally by the minute.
17:25So we were really up against the clock.
17:27And I think that just gave us this feeling of like.
17:29It's now or never you know.
17:31So we were both incredibly focused.
17:33And clear on what we had to do.
17:35And yeah anyway.
17:37The crane would sort of move.
17:39Up and down the hill.
17:41Kind of running parallel with us.
17:43And we would weave in and out of each other.
17:45And we choreographed that a little bit.
17:47So we knew roughly.
17:49Which points we were going to hit.
17:51And when we were going to come back together.
17:53And when we were going to part again.
17:56So that for me at least was really helpful.
18:02I want to stay with you.
18:06Yeah I know.
18:12It's only until all this is over.
18:14And then the schools will open again.
18:16And life will get back to normal.
18:18I promise.
18:20Please mum.
18:22Don't send me away.
18:24The thing is about playing someone in this situation.
18:26Is I know what happens.
18:28Because we all know how it ended up.
18:30But to play someone.
18:32Who really doesn't know.
18:34Who's having to turn to her child.
18:36As if she does.
18:38You're sort of having to like.
18:40Juggle all of these realities at once.
18:42Which was really interesting.
18:54He doesn't want you to have it.
18:56How do you know?
18:58I know because that's the kind of man he was.
19:00Because you're his son.
19:02And it belongs to you now.
19:06And it's going to keep you safe.
19:08Alright?
19:10Elliot and I had definitely established.
19:12Our relationship at this stage.
19:14We were very close.
19:16We'd done quite a bit.
19:18I can't remember whereabouts this was.
19:20In the schedule.
19:23But also with the way they shot it.
19:25Elliot was in every single day.
19:27Pretty much.
19:29But I would come in for a couple of days at a time.
19:31And then I'd be off for a week.
19:33And we'd really miss each other.
19:35And then by the time I'd come back on set.
19:37It would be to do a scene like this.
19:39Where it's the two of us sort of coming together.
19:41And really having to kind of like.
19:43Work a scene out together.
19:45I think the great thing about working with a kid as well.
19:47Especially when they've never done it before.
19:49There's never an ulterior motive with a kid.
19:51It's just about staying as present as possible.
19:53And whatever kind of comes out.
19:55Instinctively for them.
19:57Is usually the way to go.
19:59So it was a really great reminder.
20:01In how to work.
20:03And how to make a scene as effective as possible.
20:05I really wanted to work with Steve.
20:07I'm such a huge fan of his.
20:09And you know even though.
20:11I was technically in a film that was set.
20:13During the second world war before.
20:15My character had no part in that.
20:17Or my version of the character.
20:20Wasn't involved in that at all.
20:22Whereas now to be playing someone.
20:24Who's all too aware of the destruction.
20:26That comes with war.
20:28And the sort of sacrifice that needs to be made.
20:30Again for me as a person.
20:32It's been incredibly educational.
20:34Very interesting.
20:36And also I think to play someone working class as well.
20:38After only having that experience on Atonement before.
20:40That was really nice too.
20:42To just kind of have a new perspective.
20:44On the same time period.
20:52Some of my scenes from the past with me.
20:54It's been try them out.
20:56It's been really really lovely.
20:58To watch them all again.
21:00So thank you for giving me the opportunity to do that.
21:02Goodbye.