A joyful and insightful exclusive interview with writer/director JACK HUSTON passionately discussing DAY OF THE FIGHT, his narrative feature directorial debut. And no split decision on this one, folks! It’s a knockout! Jack Huston proves his weight in gold as a director.
SYNOPSIS: A once-celebrated boxer, Michael “Mikey” Flanagan, is about to fight for the first time since leaving prison. To prepare, he takes a redemptive journey through the streets of Brooklyn, reconnecting with those he loves the most. While trying to right the wrongs of his past, he risks everything for the fight of his life.
Written and directed by JACK HUSTON, DAY OF THE FIGHT boasts a megawatt cast including, among others, Michael Pitt as “Mikey”, Ron Perlman as MIkey’s trainer and father figure “Stevie”, John Magaro as “Father Patrick”, Steve Buscemi as Mikey’s uncle, and Joe Pesci as Mikey’s dad, along with Nicolette Robinson and Cameron Williamson
But let’s be clear from the start. DAY OF THE FIGHT is not a boxing movie. This is a character study; the character study of a reflective day-in-the-life of a man who happens to be a boxer. A nod to Jack’s grandfather, John Huston, who was a boxing champion in his youth, we immediately feel the connective tissue between storyteller and filmmaker with an emotional resonance and connection established with the audience. In many respects, this has all the hallmarks of a personal underdog story. Working with cinematographer Peter Simonite, editor Joe Klotz, production designer Pete Zumba, and composer Ben MacDiarmid, the collaborative nature of this film all comes together buttressing and elevating the already powerful performances, starting with Jack’s decision to shoot in monochromatic black and white. Together with Simonite, the metaphoric play of the grays that come with light and shadow speaks to the shades of gray in Mikey’s own life. But thanks to a little cat, Jack is quick to show us that despite the grays and his past indiscretions, Mikey is a good guy, and on seeing that you definitely want to stick around to see Mikey’s story, and his heart, unfold. There are wonderful cinematic touchstones that many may recognize as attributes that Sylvester Stallone gave to “Rocky Balboa”, attributes that speak volumes about the heart of a person. Jack Huston knows how to tell a story, undoubtedly due to a combination of genetics and his own multi-decades of acting.
With JACK HUSTON at the helm, there is legacy here; a legacy that one can either embrace, honor, or rise above. And with DAY OF THE FIGHT, Jack Huston has done all. The mere mention of his surname “Huston” conjures up images of his great-grandfather actor Walter Huston (and for many classic film fans, his unforgettable performance in “Yankee Doodle Dandy” opposite James Cagney), or his aunt Anjelica Huston who dazzles us with every role she tackles be it her memorable turn as Morticia Addams or the wicked stepmother in “Ever After: A Cinderella Story” or as Lilly Dillon in “The Grifters” or even early tv episodic such as “Laverne & Shirley or most recent works in the “John Wick” franchise or the powerful WWII drama “Waiting for Anya.” And then there’s Jack’s uncle Danny Huston who stands out no matter what the genre or role as he navigates everything from a sparkling indie gem like “Boxing Day” to a powerful adversarial turn in “Yellowstone” or a lengthy run in the series “Magic City” or the action-packed “Angel Has Fallen.” But then there’s Jack’s grandfather, the legendary John Huston. With plenty of acting credits to his name, it was with writing and directing that John Huston truly made his mark, giving us such cinematic treasures as “The African Queen”, “The Maltese Falcon”, “Moby Dick”, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, “Key Largo”, “Fat City”, and “Prizzi’s Honor”. This is a lot to live up to. Until now, JACK HUSTON has not only made a name for itself on his own merits, but more than lived up to the Huston legacy thanks to his powerful performances in films like Timur Bekmambetov’s “Ben Hur”, “Kill Your Darlings”, “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”, and series like “Boardwalk Empire”, “Fargo” and “Mayfair Witches”. But now, JACK HUSTON moves behind the camera as writer and director of DAY OF THE FIGHT.
After just one watch of DAY OF THE FIGHT (I have watched two more times since Jack and I spoke last week), it’s safe to say that as good as he is in front of the camera, JACK HUSTON belongs behind the camera as a storyteller and director just like his grandfather. He knows actors. He knows the tools in the cinematic toolbox and understands how to use them to the best effect in telling a story. He understands emotional beats, metaphor, allegory, and letting a scene breathe. And he knows how to stay focused on his vision and the story and its characters. In short, DAY OF THE FIGHT is perfection.
As Jack and I dove into DAY OF THE FIGHT and started breaking it down and examining his thought processes, we kept returning to the film’s intertwined technical and emotional depth. Huston’s choice of monochromatic black and white, inspired by his grandfather’s boxing background and classic films, sets a tone of introspection and vulnerability. The film’s score, composed by his brother-in-law Ben MacDiarmid, uses strings and piano to capture Mikey’s internal struggle. Huston emphasizes the importance of relatable characters as evidenced by Mikey’s connections with animals and children. Our conversation also focuses heavily on the film’s editing, cinematography, and the emotional impact of specific scenes, particularly the relationship between Mikey and his father.
Digging deep, Jack discussed at length, among others:
- Developing the Story
- Using a boxer as the central character allowed him to tell a story that was not just about the sport, but about the human condition. The boxer became a vehicle to explore themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the complexities of people who have made mistakes
- The boxer character allowed Jack to create a relatable protagonist that audiences could empathize with, rather than simply judge. He wanted to counter the polarization he sees in the world today by showing the humanity in someone who may have done wrong but is not inherently a “bad person.”
- creating themes of introspection, the human soul, a character’s internal journey to self-acceptance and redemption
- themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the humanity in people who have made mistakes were influenced by Jack’s desire to tell a story that counters the polarization he sees in the world today. He wanted to create a relatable character that audiences could empathize with, rather than simply judge
- The creative decisions around the visual style, cinematography, and sound design were crucial in enhancing the emotional impact of the story
- meticulous attention to the visual and aural elements that allowed Jack to create a deeply immersive and emotionally resonant experience for the audience, drawing them into Mikey’s personal journey
- Cinematography and Visual Grammar
- use of slow pans and close-ups; close mid-shots; creating an intimate, internaltized visual style
- third act tryptych-style superimpositions and Super 8mm color to reflect “in the mind’s eye”
- the decision to shoot in black and white to honor classic films and to use light and lenses for depth and grain
- created a “magnifying glass to the soul” allowing the filmmakers to play with the shades of gray in Mikey’s life. This visual style heightened the character’s internal struggle and vulnerability
- anamorphic Leica lens that provided more depth and grit/texture and grain versus a flatter digital look
- using higher frame rates of 32-48 fps for memory/flashback sequences to give a more fleeting, ephermeral quality reflecting the way memories come to us
- desaturated color in memory sequences to represent MIkey “trying to paint color” onto his recollections
- Fight sequences
- shooting with limited and the importance of capturing raw emotion
- minimal fight choreography
- a more documentary-style approach shooting with three cameras, relying on editing to build the rhythm and emotion of the fights
- DE admires the fight sequences and the choreography, comparing them to Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed.
- Editing
- working with editor Joe Klotz who understood the “heartbeat of the movie”
- with only 20 days to shoot the film, editing was a vital part of shaping the rhythm and emotion
- editing was a “dance” in post-production with fine-tuning the balance between the score, sound design, and visual pacing to ensure the proper emotional resonance the right emotional resonance
- specific editing choices in particular scenes to reflect the weight of the moment
- Music and Sound Design
- Ben MacDiarmid’s score and instrumentation, particularly strings, violin, viola, cello, and piano to articulate Mikey’s internal struggle; evocative instrumentation complemented the film’s themes of isolation and internalization
- finding the poetic soul of the music; the beauty of isolation set against the brutality of the sport
- integration of jazz beats in the sound design emphasizing the ebb and flow of the score and sound while mirroring Mikey’s emotional ups and downs
- the importance of needledrops; Joe Pesci song (really is Joe Pesci singing the track of one song)
- Jack’s connection to music and his personal experience with his grandmother’s dementia and how music could “pull her back into moments of ludicity”
- Lessons Learned as First Time Director
- the importance of assembling a brilliant, passionate team who deeply understands the vision and tone of the film. Jack emphasized how crucial it was to have collaborators like the cinematographer, editor, composer, and others who were on the same page and could execute the film’s emotional core
- the power of music and sound design in conveying a character’s internal journey and importance of working closely with the composer
- the value of allowing actors to bring their own depth and vulnerability to the characters
- the significance of personal connections and life experiences in informing the storytelling. Jack drew from his own family history and observations to craft the narrative, which gave the film a deeper authenticity
- Casting and Performance
- and more!
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 12/02/2024
DAY OF THE FIGHT is now exclusively in theatres.
