I feel “Silent Night” is one of the better “no-dialogue” movies because it feels like it takes place in a world where people do speak, yet there’s just no dialogue present. How did you work with the script, in terms of building this world of no dialogue but there’s still sound, and that sort of thing?
So with the script, I feel so excited, I see that you have no dialogue, I [said] it could allow me to [use] my usual technique [or] I could use more the visuals and sounds for telling the story, and tell how the character feels. And then I think [it’s] also good to allow the actors, my good actors like Joel and everyone, can deliver their real performances from their heart. The audience looks straight into their eyes, and they’re more focused on their face and the feel of their emotion. So more direct. There’s no need to worry about the dialogue, no need to hear other sounds. So real contact, much better contact in this film, it’s a good thing.
The other thing is for this movie, I realize that it almost feels like a true story, and it could happen to any family. It could happen. Like a gang fight, and the innocent kid that got killed, and then it could really happen to anyone, to any family. I tried to make the movie more about these things. Even though the fight scenes, I got rid of my usual style. My usual style is like too many gunshots, too fancy. I need to show the real fight, the real anger, the real hatred for the crime. So I’m using some new techniques, like most action sequences I’m using a long take, a long take without any cuts, without shutting the camera, to make the audience feel it’s real. Every punch, every hit, always sounds real and looks real. So I think you’ve got more of a good impact, and it also makes the audience more involved with the character. Not only just fights.