Standard News

Hide Advertisement
  • Business
  • Culture
  • News
  • Technology
  • Trending
Site logo
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Entertainment

‘Jackie’ paints mystery of First Lady after assassination

By Reuters 2 min read
Director Pablo Larrain poses with actress Natalie Portman as they attend the photocall for the movie "Jackie" at the 73rd Venice Film Festival in Venice

By Agnieszka Flak

VENICE (Reuters) – Film director Pablo Larrain said his portrayal of Jacqueline Kennedy in the aftermath of her husband’s assassination is not a biopic but rather a chance to look at an intriguing and painful story from the point of view of the former first lady.

Advertisement

Larrain was speaking at the Venice film festival where “Jackie”, starring Natalie Portman, will premier later on Wednesday and is competing against 19 other movies for the coveted Golden Lion that will be awarded on Saturday.

“I believe that Jackie was someone incredibly mysterious, probably one of the most unknown from the known people,” the Chilean director told a press conference.

The movie is Larrain’s first English-language feature and also his first movie centered around a female character.

“I’m not American and not necessarily attached to their history … but I felt this was a very beautiful and intriguing story,” he said.

The movie shows Jackie in the first week after the assassination as she struggles to come to terms with the tragedy and her own grief. At the same time she seeks to comfort her two young children and prepare her husband’s funeral in a way that will make his death meaningful but also allow her to be remembered as more than a fashion icon.

Portman, who won an Oscar for her role in ballet thriller “Black Swan”, said portraying someone whose looks, speech and gestures were known to everyone made this the “most dangerous” role she had ever played.

The movie recreated parts of a White House tour the first lady gave after renovating the presidential residence, making it easy to draw comparisons between Portman and Kennedy.

“And that’s terrifying because I’ve never thought of myself as a great imitator or anything,” the 35-year-old actress said.

“I was just trying to get to something that people could get past and believe that I was Jackie, and then you always have yourself in there too, inevitably.”

A big part of Portman’s job was portraying a character always in control of her identity, putting different masks on when in public, with those close to her or when truly alone.

The camera moves from Jackie recording the White House tours with a nervous smile to a first lady alone in her bedroom, sipping on Vodka, popping pills and swapping between outfits, all the while listening to a Broadway recording of “Camelot”.

“She’s a symbol for all these people, she is a mother, she’s a wife, a betrayed wife, she’s a person just trying to find her way in the world,” Portman said.

“There are so many things she’s dealing with.”

Larrain said the movie was not trying to deliver all the answers but rather leave something for the audience to digest.

“You don’t completely get who she was because it’s just not possible, and I found beauty in that fact,” he said.

(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak)

tagreuters.com2016binary_LYNXNPEC8617M-VIEWIMAGE

Advertisement - Continue reading below

Would-be Reagan assassin released from psychiatric hospital
News
Reuters 2 min read

Would-be Reagan assassin released from psychiatric hospital

N.Y. man pleads not guilty to killings of imam, associate
News
Reuters 1 min read

N.Y. man pleads not guilty to killings of imam, associate

U.S. judge blocks law allowing religion as reason to deny service to LGBT people
News
Reuters 3 min read

U.S. judge blocks law allowing religion as reason to deny service to LGBT people

Closing arguments wrap up in Baltimore cop’s trial over Freddie Gray death
News
Reuters 2 min read

Closing arguments wrap up in Baltimore cop’s trial over Freddie Gray death

Lighten up at airport security lines, U.S. judge tells travelers
News
Reuters 2 min read

Lighten up at airport security lines, U.S. judge tells travelers

The Abandoned Magnolia Mill In Colorado Watches Over An Underwater Town
Trending
David Clarke 3 min read

The Abandoned Magnolia Mill In Colorado Watches Over An Underwater Town

In Flint, Michigan water crisis, city mayor did not violate ethics
Business
Reuters 2 min read

In Flint, Michigan water crisis, city mayor did not violate ethics

Parole system questioned after murder of NBA star’s cousin
News
Reuters 3 min read

Parole system questioned after murder of NBA star’s cousin

Chelsea Manning faces discipline for prison suicide attempt: lawyers
News
Reuters 2 min read

Chelsea Manning faces discipline for prison suicide attempt: lawyers

Oops! Britney Spears does it again in latest pop culture comeback
Entertainment
Reuters 2 min read

Oops! Britney Spears does it again in latest pop culture comeback

load more Loading posts...

sidebar

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

sidebar-alt

  • About Us
  • Imprint
  • Contact Us
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy