Since the film "Boiler Room", Vin Diesel isn't an unknown person in
Hollywood any longer. For the first time, the rising star now plays a role in a
big production. In the action movie "The Fast and The Furious", Diesel plays the
character of Dominic, a gangster with a heart.
Vin Diesel, have
you been positive about this project right from the beginning?
Yes.
Usually, a script is being worked over for years until the film studio gives the
go-ahead and the film can be done. In this case, though, it was different. The
studio gave its okay before even the script was written. The story is based on a
magazine article about that subculture, and on the grounds on that article
alone, the studio decided to make the film.
And what made you
interested in it, personally?
I met director Rob Cohen, and he made
the role sound appealing to me. I liked the character of my figure, but above
all, that one shot fascinated me where the camera goes through my body during a
race. There's something mythological about it. Dominic is like half human, half
animal. His obsession, the fast cars, become one with him.
Was the
shooting exhausting? Did you do the stunts yourself?
Surely, the most
exhausting thing was the scene in which I save the character of Vince from a
racing truck. That was also the most dangerous scene, because we couldn't use a
stunt double, for it was all close-up shots. So I had to lean half my torso out
of the window. When we did the first take, I realized how dangerous it all was.
But when you're making a film you want to give your best in each and every
scene, and so we did that scene about six or seven times. Six or seven times I
risked my life. And if I had died, I wouldn't be sitting here and talking to you
now.
Please describe your film character Dominic for
us.
Dominic is tough, because he's got the feeling that this is the
only way he can survive. And it's the only way he can take care of those he
loves. He also takes care of the others, like his sister, for example. He wants
her to change her career, her life; he wants her to lead a better life. Even if
it's a burden for him, on the other hand, that he has to take care of her.
That's the dilemma he finds himself in, and that's what the whole film is about;
his family sense tells him to take care of the younger ones although he actually
doesn't want to.
Speed plays an important role in the film; in the
illegal street races as well as in terms of cuts and special effects. Do you
like that?
I've always been fascinated by speed. I drive motorcycles,
and when I was younger and a bit less level-headed [than now], I used to drive
quite fast now and then. I love the concept of speed and the feeling of freedom
that speed offers you.
Did you do many of the stunts
yourself?
We had a very good stunt team, who enabled us to do shots
ourselves you would normally have done by a stunt double. Everything was
prepared very scrupulously, and the experts made sure that we even looked good
at it. We come over as very brave and heroic.
Your final comment on
the film?
"The Fast and The Furious" shows a world, a subculture,
that we haven't seen in a film before. And everything in the film was done very
scrupulously, and accurately.
Interview: Philipp
Portmann
Translation: Zoe (Thanks to Kate for her help!)