From top to bottom: Rampling, director Francois Ozon. Ludibine Sagnier and Rampling
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lt \xax reprexxed grtet u\ er her xtxtet”x death that tna_\ \\ ell ha\ e prupelled Ratnpling'x eltnieal deprexxtunx. \xhteh eatne tu the xtrrtaee in the late I‘NN Su dtxahhng \\ ere her teeltngx that xhe tuiee reeei\ ed huxpital inpatient treatment. She tx eandtd ahuut thexe e\perieneex: ‘l tlnnk )Utl need dept'exxiun tu renexx _\uttt'xelt'.' xhe xa} x. 'l deetded there \\ ere thingx I had tu trnextigate. lt heeatne tuu eutnplieated tu gu un leading in} exeryla} lil’e. tnaking liltnx and hringtng trp ktdx. I think )utt haxe tu luuk at thingx thix \\a_\. rather than thinking it‘x e\ternal thingx that aren't making )unt‘ hte great.‘
Ratnpling quit tnaking liltnx and dutng tnternexxx tur xe\eral )mrx \xhile xhe etnhat'ked un her prueexx ut xeltr in\extigatiun. ‘eutning utrt' ax a \tlllt‘l’t‘l’ ut dept'exxtun. h_\ writing an artiele l‘ut' l‘reneh l.’//¢'. \utt ean than a eunneettun hetneen thix periud ul' perxunal angttixh and the ntraneed intenxit} xhe hax ht'uttght tu her t‘ulex in l-raneutx ()/un‘x I'm/er l/lt' Sand and mm Sit/muting ’unl. tn \xlneh xhe pla.\x an ttptiglit ttt}xte‘t‘} \xritet‘ lur \\ltHlIl lietiun and t'e.t|it_\ heeutne hlttrred in a xeetningl} id_\ llie l’rmeneale xetting.
‘l'ur flirt/timing ’mt/ l‘t‘aneuix iter eatne tu me \\llll an idea ul a ehat'aeter in a xitttatiun. \xithuttt elahurattng un that xitttatiun. xu tltat eharaetet' ul‘ Sarah .\lurtun \\;ix a xtteeexxhtl \xriter \xhu'x xttl'l'ering a et'eati\e hluek. and \xhu’x du\\tl iii the dtttnpx and \xhu duexn't leel xhe'x \\ riting \\ Ital xhe xhuttld he \xriting‘. xhe xa}x. ‘l‘t'aneuix allu\\x tne tu ittxt gu \tith l1l_\ itnaginatiun. lle'x a \er) inxtinetixe perxun ax inxtinetn e ax latn. and he likex anal_\xing ex en lexx tltan I du.‘
In preparing l'ur her partx. Ratnpling axuidx heeutning hugged du\\ ii iii
px)ehu|ugiea| anal}xix ul~
her eharaeter'x tnuthatiun.
'Yutt need quite a lut ul' that tu keep )uttrxell in a _
t'elati\el_\ e\ett keel in _\uttr
uun lil'e.’ xhe xa}x. ‘Bttt in
_\t)lll' irnaginat‘} lite. \xhieh l ttxe in making liltnx. _\t)ll
dun'l t'eall} need that I anahxix. Yutt iter want tu du
ll. 10 liL‘L‘l ll. It) lL'l ll (llll. it) Do upen a duur and lime it I eutne uttt in xpite ul'}uu.' CO I l
Ratnpling detnunxtratex in T Sir/muting I’uu/ her ahilit)‘ tu eutne} \\lllt eutnpelling underxtatetnent a eharaeter'x prueexx ul xell—tt'anxlttrntatiun. ’l'u \that e\lent duex xhe xeek uttt partx \thieh l‘uettx un an internal jtitlt'ltc} 1’ ‘\\'el| \that’x interexting lrutn an aetut”x puint ul \ie\\ ix xhuuing thix htttnan _iutrt'tte_\. llu\\ a heatttil'ttl perxun ean he ax tigl} ax xhe ix heatttilttl. \Ve lirxt xee Sarah .\luttun in a train. thix haggard \xuntan and \te gu un thix juttrne} \there )utt xee her radiant at the end and xntiling. and tin a tnutnent in her lite it'x \xundet'l'nl. ’l'lten it ean gu haek intu the Sarah .\lurtun ul‘ the heginning \er} qttiekl}. .X‘tt‘t'mmt'nu /’uu/ xhuux thexe e}elex. and that'x \\ll;tl uttr li\ex are like.‘
Ratnpling alxu appearx in the thriller /'// X/H'p ll'lu'n I'm /)(’(l(/. lttlxt) plit} lllg ttl the l'ill'il'il. tllt'L‘L‘lL‘tl li_\ .\lll\L' (It'l (.(II'H‘I‘ lludgex. in \xhieh xhe xtarx uppuxite ('li\e ()uen ax a gangxter‘x e\-tnull. in what xhe eallx 'a xutnht'e. xtrange liltn‘. "l‘he tune ul‘ the liltn ix the film. )utt either like it ur )tttl tlult‘l: xhe \Lt} x.
But duex xhe ha\e pruhletnx letting gu ul' thexe etnutiunalh intenxe rulex‘.’ ‘l dun't think )utt get )trlll‘ rulex uttt ul' )ttlll' x) xtetnf xhe xa}x. 'lhe} all heeutne part ul a gt‘utrp tugether. and )utt hring uttt utte and the utherx “an in the \xingx. .-\nd that'x \xhat‘x niee ahunt uhat'x happening at the niurnent there ix a xutt ul' upening tip lur tne. l'\ e heen an aetrexx l'ur a \Cl'} lung time. and it'x altnuxt ax thuttgh in the paxt. l’\ e heen lurhidden tu ha\ e l'ttn. Nun l'rtt alluu ed tu ha\ e l'ttn un-xereeti.'
Being 'rnarginal'. in uther \turdx. hax paid ull' handxurnel} in the lung run.
Swimming Pool opens at the GFT, Glasgow and the Cameo, Edinburgh on 22 Aug having already screened at the EIFF. I'll Sleep When I’m Dead plays in the Festival on 23 & 24 Aug.
THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 59