The Bride! with Maggie Gyllenhaal and Greta Gerwig (Ep. 607)

·43 min·4 clips

Maggie Gyllenhaal explains how her monster love story explodes the fantasy of 1930s Fred Astaire films.

This episode of The Director's Cut features Maggie Gyllenhaal interviewed by Greta Gerwig about Gyllenhaal's film The Bride. Gyllenhaal begins by describing the film as an explosion of 1930s fantasy love stories, contrasting it with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films. She discusses the film's setting in an alternate 1930s Chicago, where a murdered woman named Ida is brought back to life as Frankenstein's monster. Gyllenhaal explains her approach to dialogue, noting that words often hide deeper meanings, as illustrated in a pool scene nicknamed the blowjob scene. She talks about incorporating dance into the film, working with choreographers like Michelle Doran and Bobby Jean Smith, and auditioning dancers in New York. Gyllenhaal shares her rehearsal methods, which vary by actor: she had script-based sessions with Jessie Buckley, long phone calls with Christian Bale, and kitchen table readings with Peter Sarsgaard. She reveals the film was originally set after the Civil War but shifted to the 1930s to include movie references. Gyllenhaal mentions reading Frankenstein for the first time and exploring unthinkable themes. She describes shooting scenes with Mary Shelley in a black void space using a techno crane, a reshoot done with Jessie Buckley eight months pregnant. Gyllenhaal discusses her on-set preferences, balancing monitor use with actor proximity, and tailoring notes to different actors' needs. She praises costume designer Sandy Powell, who insisted on a bright orange dress for the bride, and reflects on the collaborative nature of filmmaking, including disagreements with her cinematographer. The episode concludes with thanks and podcast promotion.

As heard by us

A spoiler-filled DGA conversation tracing The Bride from spiritualists to lens choices.

Maggie Gyllenhaal and Greta Gerwig use this DGA conversation to take The Bride apart in public, moving from the film's alternate 1930s Chicago to Ida, the murdered young woman brought back to life to be the monster Frankenstein.

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Why you'd press play

A monster romance, a 1930s fantasy, and the lens notes you did not know you wanted.

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