Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'The Bride!' revives a classic monster romance for Chinese theatres

Actor-turned-director Maggie Gyllenhaal's new film "The Bride!" — a bold reimagining of one of cinema's most iconic stories, with an ensemble of acclaimed actors — will open in China in March. In an interview with China.org.cn, she reflected on her most memorable moments from the production. 

A still from "The Bride!." [Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures]

This is the second feature film since "The Lost Daughter" from the renowned actor Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is now pursuing directing. The film stars Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale, as well as Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal and Penélope Cruz.

"The Bride!" draws inspiration from James Whale's 1935 film "Bride of Frankenstein," itself inspired by Mary Shelley's 1818 novel "Frankenstein." It tells the story of Frankenstein (played by Bale), who in 1930s Chicago asks scientist Dr. Euphronious (Bening) to create a companion for him. They revive a murdered woman, bringing The Bride (Buckley) to life, unleashing a chain of events involving murder, possession, a radical movement, and a combustible romance. The film also draws inspiration from "Bonnie and Clyde," "Badlands," and "Metropolis." Gyllenhaal wanted to explore the "monstrous aspects inside of every single one of us… I see it in myself, I see it in other people" and the film does exactly that. 

Gyllenhaal spoke with China.org.cn at a trailer launch and conversation event on Jan. 13. "Where Frank's fantasy of... loving and living… which he's had to do in his mind because he's been so lonely, melds with real life" is also a core pillar of the story. According to Gyllenhaal, her aspiration in creating the film was to give voice to the silenced and explore a female journey of self-discovery on a grand, cinematic scale. This scale was proven in "a sequence that we shot over five days because it was a big, long sequence with all sorts of very complicated aspects in it. Lots of extras, lots of people, music, stunts, lots of beautiful acting. And it was really hard," she said. 

Gyllenhaal continued, "We're shooting this very difficult sequence in the middle of the night over a few days. And I would say that was one of the most difficult sequences, and also one of the most pleasurable, and my very favorite. But it meant that sometimes I was standing in a ballroom of 300 people at 4:00 in the morning, trying to get all of them to work together inside of this very complicated storytelling. And it was hard, but I really loved it too."

Upon finishing the script, Gyllenhaal realized only Buckley could embody the role, as the character required an actress capable of portraying the full human spectrum from fierce power to deep vulnerability. For the role of Frankenstein, she sought an actor who could embody both profound vulnerability and a monstrous capacity, finding Christian Bale ideal for this duality. Previously, Gyllenhaal and Bale worked as co-stars in "The Dark Knight."

The cast also includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal's own brother. She said she cast her brother very late, after careful thought. He plays a matinee idol, a star in the film's world. "I asked him at the very last minute because I wanted to make sure it was right for our relationship," Gyllenhaal said. "I haven't worked with him since 'Donnie Darko,' when I was 20 or something. It was such a pleasure. I would find myself laughing so hard that tears were streaming down my face. I loved it. I loved it. That's true for all my actors, but of course there's a special something with my own brother."

Ultimately, Gyllenhaal hopes people will see the gothic crime film as a love story. "I think the movie is a deep, deep love story about a very imperfect connection. And I think that, if we're honest, that's every love story. And maybe that's another one of the things that I thought... I might really tell the truth about this. Is it going to resonate? Is it going to hit a vein? Love is a very complicated thing, with ecstasy, pleasure and also darkness and things that are broken," she said.

"The Bride!" will hit theaters nationwide in China on March 6.