Symmetry, vibrant color palette, good old ultra-violence, retro imitation of 80s hits and much more for which we so appreciate the expressive style of the director of “Bronson”, “Drive” and “Neon Demon”
Chronological order of filming
Nicholas Winding Refn works on set in an extremely rare way – he shoots scenes in chronological order – that is, as close as possible to the one in which the on-screen action will develop in the finished film. This unproductive and overwhelmingly complicated production approach was borrowed from the rebel and main inspirer of all representatives of “independent cinema” – John Cassavetes. He worked this way in many ways to help his actors – usually non-professionals – open up.
Winding Refn, who also sometimes attracts non-professional performers, notes that for him the reason for the chronological method is even deeper: “How can you make a movie in any other way? It’s like painting – you write a film like a picture, step by step. And I like the feeling of uncertainty about where you will turn next, of uncertainty what the final result will be. ” It is curious that at the same time he hardly resorts to rehearsals with actors, considering them useless.
Mythologization
The Cinematic Universe of Vindinga Refna is a collection of myths and legends. The director draws inspiration from semi-fantastic stories of a metaphorical nature, and his heroes (or rather, antiheroes) try to go beyond their own limits, surrounding themselves with a mysterious halo. For example, in “Bronson” the hero of Tom Hardy creates the myth of the most desperate criminal in Great Britain with his unbridled behavior and a detailed story about his person. In Drive, the strategy is exactly the opposite – Ryan Gosling’s silent character carefully conceals his destructive potential. Valhalla plots are built around medieval myths. “Drive” is assembled from images, cliches and cliches of film classics of the past, in fact, myths also fixed on the screen. And what if not the exploitation of the myths of our time is the “Neon Demon”?
Almost all of Winding Refn’s films are based on a crime plot. Whether it’s the story of Copenhagen drug dealers (The Dealer trilogy), a crazy criminal (Bronson), a robber carrier (Drive) or a Thai smuggler (Only God will forgive). The brutal world of crime, obviously, is the best suited for revealing the director’s favorite motive – the transgression of a person, his going beyond the generally accepted norm into space, as a rule, of animal horror.
