A Bigger Splash
We're all obscene.
Country
Production
Budget
$0
Revenue
$7 545 758
Director
Actors
Tilda Swinton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Ralph Fiennes, Dakota Johnson, Corrado Guzzanti, Alessandro Ferrara, David Maddalena, Salvatore Gabriele, Livio Franco Blandino, Aurore Clément
All actors and roles (10)
All actors and roles (10)
Scenario
Producer
Operator
Composer
Artist
Maria Djurkovic
Audition
Avy Kaufman, Stella Savino
Editing
Walter Fasano
All team (123)
All team (123)
Short description
An American couple, Paul and Marianne, spend their vacation in Italy and experience trouble when Marianne invites a former lover and his teenage daughter to visit, which leads to jealousy and dangerous sexual scenarios.
What's left behind the scenes
- In the scene where Paul and Harry are filming a documentary, director Luca Guadagnino himself sits next to Matthias Schoenaerts' character.
- Filming took 9 weeks (6 shooting days per week).
- Tilda Swinton posed as Marianne Lane for the cover of 'AnOther Magazine' (Autumn/Winter 2015 issue). The magazine published an interview with Marianne about the film, co-written by Tilda Swinton, Glenn O'Brien, Luca Guadagnino and Dave Kiganich.
- Luca Guadagnino wanted to work with a US-based screenwriter, so he asked David Kighan to write the script for Studio Canal.
- This is the fourth joint project between director Luca Guadagnino and cinematographer Yorick Le Saux. They previously worked together on the film 'I Am Love' (2009) and the short films 'Destinee' (2012) and 'One Plus One' (2012).
- During the 2015 London Film Festival, Luca Guadagnino admitted that his favorite scene in the film 'A Bigger Splash' never made it into the final cut. 'We filmed it at the Tate gallery in London, right in front of a David Hockney canvas,' the director said. 'The scene turned out magnificent, but it had to be cut.' This scene featured only Dakota Johnson, who is seen contemplating Hockney's painting.
- Luca Guadagnino's first full-length feature film in 6 years, following the release of 'I Am Love' (2009).
- One day during filming, an underwater camera used for some scenes broke down, and the actors were forced to wait a week on the island for a replacement. Matthias Schoenaerts felt uncomfortable, literally trapped, Tilda Swinton was calm and later described this state as a "protracted family vacation," and Ralph Fiennes, who really liked the houses built into the cliffs where the actors were housed, didn't want to leave. During filming, the actors lived in houses built directly into the cliffs of Pantelleria Island (Italy) in the Strait of Sicily.
- When Ralph Fiennes was asked what scared him most about the script, he answered that it was singing karaoke and dancing, because he does not feel like a singer or a dancer.
- Ralph Fiennes likes The Rolling Stones, but he hadn't attended any of their concerts until the summer of 2014, when he was filming “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”
- Before "The Deep" (Big Splash), Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes starred together in "The Grand Budapest Hotel" (Wes Anderson, 2014), based on stories by Stefan Zweig, and in the comedy "Hail, Caesar!" (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2016).
- This is the first time in Matthias Schoenaerts' acting career that he has played a Belgian in a film that is not Belgian or French. Prior to filming 'A Bigger Splash', he last played a Belgian in Jacques Audiard's drama 'Rust and Bone' (2012), after which he played Americans, English, Germans, French, and Danes.
- Prior to 'A Bigger Splash,' Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes appeared together in the film based on stories by Stefan Zweig, 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' (Wes Anderson, 2014), and the comedy 'Hail, Caesar!' (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2016).
- Actor Ralph Fiennes, who plays the role of a music producer in the film, has a brother named Magnus who is also a music producer. Fiennes admitted in an interview with the website "Collider" that he bombarded his brother with questions about the profession while preparing for the role.
- Tilda Swinton described her character Marianne Lane as a "mixture" of David Bowie, Chrissie Hynde, and PJ Harvey.
- This is the fourth film by cinematographer Yorick Le Saux to star Tilda Swinton. Previously, they worked together on the films 'Julia' (Eric Zonka, 2008), 'I Am Love' (Luca Guadagnino, 2009), and 'Only Lovers Left Alive' (Jim Jarmusch, 2013).
- Ralph Fiennes likes The Rolling Stones; however, until the summer of 2014, when 'A Bigger Splash' was being filmed, he had never been to any of their concerts.
- Ralph Fiennes sought the help of Anne Yeat, a choreographer and movement director, in staging his dance scene.
- Tilda Swinton described her character Marianne Lane as a "mix" of David Bowie, Chrissie Hynde and P.J. Harvey.
- Matthias Schoenaerts began filming "The Bodyguard" (Alice Winocour, 2015) just three weeks after finishing "A Bigger Splash".
- Before starting on the initial script draft, Dave Kaganish read all the books he could find about the "Rolling Stones" and watched all the documentaries made about the musicians. Kaganish felt he needed to find a niche for Marianne Lane and Harry Hawks within the rock music world of the 1990s. For example, he tried to determine which "Rolling Stones" albums Harry Hawks might have produced. Once he had decided on this, Kaganish gathered everything ever written or told by people who were actually in the studio during the recording of those albums. During the pre-production period, he received a very interesting email. It was a letter from Mick Jagger, sent to the film's music supervisor. It turned out that the members of the "Rolling Stones" had read the script for the future film. The filmmakers had asked them for permission to use certain songs, and the musicians did not object. In the letter, Jagger asked where Kaganish had learned the story of the recording of "Moon Is Up" from the album "Voodoo Lounge" (1994) and, in particular, that Charlie Watts had played not on the drums, but on a trash can in the studio. Kaganish had read this in passing in one of Stanley Booth's books about the "Rolling Stones". He had decided to mention this incident in the film and was now worried that Jagger would express his disapproval. Jagger did not express any such disapproval. He simply wrote to correct a nuance in which the filmmakers had made a mistake. Kaganish later said that he was only glad to correct the inaccuracy, because who, if not Jagger, would know what he was talking about when it came to the "Rolling Stones"! In addition, Kaganish listened to almost exclusively the "Rolling Stones" for a year.
- Director Luca Guadagnino is unsure whether the film 'A Bigger Splash' (2015) should be called a remake of Jacques Deray's 1969 detective film 'La Piscine' (The Swimming Pool). In an interview with the Italian version of 'Vogue' magazine, he stated that he was never a fan of Deray's film and only borrowed the idea of two couples meeting during the summer by the pool. In an interview with 'The Guardian' newspaper, Guadagnino later explained that the film's concept was inspired by David Hockney's painting 'A Bigger Splash' (1967). “I once wondered what was beyond the moment in time that Hockney captured on canvas,” the director said. Guadagnino took the title from the artist, organized the writing of a plot where all the action takes place near the pool, and proceeded intuitively. He wanted to focus on the behavior of his characters, which is rare in modern cinema.
- In the film 'A Bigger Splash,' Matthias Schoenaerts plays a photographer and documentary filmmaker. In real life, Schoenaerts directed a documentary called 'Frankie' about a high school friend who had lost a leg.
- Director Luca Guadagnino later admitted that he had never felt as comfortable on a film set as he did while working on "A Bigger Splash."
- This is the tenth joint project by director Luca Guadagnino and editor Walter Fasano. Previously, they collaborated on "Qui" (1997), "Protagonists" (1999), "L'uomo risacca" (2000), "Mundo civilizado" (2003), "Melissa P." (2005), "I Am Love" (2009), "Chronology" (2010), "Destinee" (2012) and "Bertolucci on Bertolucci" (2013).
- Margot Robbie left the project due to filming 'The Legend of Tarzan' directed by David Yates, leaving director Luca Guadagnino without an actress for the role of Penelope shortly before the planned start of filming. He went through numerous candidates until his friend Brian Soddstrom (Tilda Swinton and Sam Taylor-Johnson's agent) once mentioned Dakota Johnson. Guadagnino spoke with Sam Taylor-Johnson, who had directed Dakota in 'Fifty Shades of Grey' (2015), and soon included Dakota Johnson in the cast.
- Cate Blanchett was originally planned for the role of Marianne, but the actress was busy in New York during filming. The role went to Tilda Swinton.
- A scene depicting the relationship between Marianne Lane and her mother was shot but did not make it into the final version of the film. In the original script, the heroine’s mother was portrayed as a screen star on the level of Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982). In one of the scenes from this episode, where Marianne is at a celebration in the church of San Gaetano in Florence, she is approached by a stranger who mistakes her for her mother. This scene was shot to show how Marianne is mistaken for her famous mother, and how, for a moment, she finds herself in someone else’s shoes. The episode was cut because it was considered distracting to the audience, but until the very end of the film’s production, its creators could not shake the thought that Marianne’s mother was a celebrity of a different kind, a screen star who learned to live with frenzied fame, became a mother, and remained an ordinary person even in the eyes of her adoring public.
- Marianne Lane's concert, performed by Tilda Swinton, was filmed at the San Siro Stadium (also known as the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium) in Milan, which resembles Madison Square Garden in New York. The filming took place during a performance by Italian rapper Jovanotti (real name Lorenzo Cherubini), which was attended by 70,000 people. One of Tilda Swinton's acquaintances is a friend of Jovanotti. Through him, the filmmakers asked the performer to give up the stage for 15 minutes, and the audience was asked to shout Marianne Lane's name during that time.
- The scene where Harry dances was filmed in a single day. To rehearse the dance, Ralph Fiennes downloaded the song to his iPod and practiced to it in his spare time between takes.
- Margot Robbie left the project due to filming David Yates' 'The Legend of Tarzan', leaving director Luca Guadagnino without an actress for the role of Penelope shortly before filming was scheduled to begin. He considered many candidates until his friend Brian Soderstrom (agent for Tilda Swinton and Sam Taylor-Johnson) mentioned Dakota Johnson. Guadagnino spoke with Sam Taylor-Johnson, who had directed Dakota in 'Fifty Shades of Grey' (2015), and soon cast Dakota Johnson in the film.
- For help with the staging of his dance scene, Ralph Fiennes turned to Anne Elt, a choreographer and movement director.
- Members of The Rolling Stones helped with the screenplay. Initially, the filmmakers arranged a screening of 'I Am Love' (2009) for Mick Jagger and the other musicians to introduce them to Luca Guadagnino's work. The frontman liked the film. Ralph Fiennes and Jagger even became friends. After that, Fiennes and Guadagnino went to a Rolling Stones concert in Rome to personally present the future film to the musicians. As producer Michael Costigan later recounted, everything turned out even better than they had hoped. Jagger and guitarist Ronnie Wood were thrilled with the future film and specifically with the character that Fiennes was to play. They suggested some things to the actor regarding the dialogue about studio sessions that his character would discuss in front of the camera. Thus, while playing a Rolling Stones record, Harry would reflect or make comments specifically about the things that were actually discussed in the studio during the recording process.
- Luca Guadagnino's first film in English since the release of the thriller 'Protagonists' (1999).
- Kate Blanchett was originally considered for the role of Marianne, but she was busy filming in New York at the time of shooting. The role went to Tilda Swinton.
- This is the tenth collaboration between director Luca Guadagnino and editor Walter Fasano. Previously, they worked together on the films 'Qui' (1997), 'The Protagonists' (1999), 'L'uomo risacca' (2000), 'Mundo civilizado' (2003), 'Melissa: Intimate Diary' (2005), 'I Am Love' (2009), 'Chronology' (2010), 'Destinee' (2012), and 'Bertolucci on Bertolucci' (2013).
- On one of the filming days, the underwater camera used for certain scenes broke, and the actors were forced to wait a week on the island for a replacement. Matthias Schoenaerts felt uneasy, literally trapped; Tilda Swinton remained calm and later described the experience as a "prolonged family vacation"; and Ralph Fiennes, who loved the cliffside houses where the actors were staying, didn't want to go anywhere. During filming, the actors lived in houses built directly into the cliffs of Pantelleria (Italy) in the Strait of Sicily.
- The tattoos on Penelope's body are Dakota Johnson's real tattoos. The director and the actress decided not to hide them because Penelope, much like Dakota herself, does not regret that they are permanent.
- During the 2015 London Film Festival, Luca Guadagnino confessed that his favorite scene from the film 'A Bigger Splash' did not make it into the final cut. "We shot it in the Tate Gallery in London, right in front of a painting by David Hockney," the director said. "The scene turned out magnificent, but it had to be cut." The scene featured only Dakota Johnson, who was looking at Hockney’s painting.
- Actor Ralph Fiennes, who plays a music producer in the film, has a brother named Magnus who is a music producer. In an interview with the website Collider, Fiennes admitted that while preparing for the role, he bombarded his brother with questions about the profession.
- Director Luca Guadagnino is unsure whether 'A Bigger Splash' (2015) should be called a remake of the mystery 'La Piscine,' which Jacques Deray directed in 1969. In an interview with the Italian edition of Vogue, he stated that he was never a fan of Deray's film and borrowed only the idea of two couples meeting by a pool in the summer. In a subsequent interview with The Guardian, Guadagnino explained that the film's concept was inspired by David Hockney's painting 'A Bigger Splash' (1967). 'I once wondered what lay beyond that moment in time that Hockney captured on canvas,' the director said. Guadagnino took the title from the artist, commissioned a plot where all the action takes place by a pool, and proceeded by intuition. He wanted to focus on the behavior of his characters, which is a rarity in modern cinema.
- Luca Guadagnino wanted to work with a screenwriter from the United States, and therefore asked David Kajganich to write a screenplay for "Studio Canal".
- An episode detailing Marianne Lane's relationship with her mother was filmed but did not make it into the final version of the movie. In the original script, the protagonist's mother was a screen star on the level of Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982). In one scene from this episode, while Marianne is at a celebration in the San Gaetano church in Florence, a strange girl approaches her, mistaking her for her own mother. This scene was shot to show how Marianne is mistaken for her famous mother and how, for a moment, she finds herself in someone else's shoes. The episode was cut because it was felt to be distracting for the viewer; however, until the very end of production, the authors were haunted by the idea that Marianne's mother was a different kind of celebrity—a screen star who learned to live with frantic fame, became a mother, and remained an ordinary person even in the eyes of the public that adored her.
- In "The Big Splash", Matthias Schoenaerts plays a photographer and documentary filmmaker. In reality, Schoenaerts directed a documentary called "Franky" about his school friend who lost a leg.
- This was Matthias Schoenaerts' first role in his acting career where he didn't play a Belgian in a Belgian or French film. Before filming 'The Big Splash,' he last played a Belgian in Jacques Audiard's drama 'Rust and Bone' (2012), after which he portrayed Americans, Englishmen, Germans, Frenchmen and Danes.
- Luca Guadagnino's first English-language film since the release of the thriller "The Protagonists" (1999).
- Penelope is reading "The Skin" by Italian writer Curzio Malaparte. The novel, written in 1949, was included by the Catholic Church in the "Index of Forbidden Books".
- Tilda Swinton posed as Marianne Lane for the cover of 'AnOther Magazine' (Autumn/Winter 2015 issue). The magazine published an interview with Marianne about the film, co-written by Tilda Swinton, Glenn O'Brien, Luca Guadagnino, and Dave Kaiganich.
- Luca Guadagnino cannot swim. This is his second film where death comes to one of the characters in a swimming pool. It first happened in "I Am Love" (2009), where one of the characters close to Tilda Swinton also died.
- Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux also worked on the film 'Swimming Pool' (François Ozon, 2002), a new interpretation of the 1969 film of the same name by Jacques Demy starring Alain Delon and Romy Schneider.
- Luca Guadagnino's first feature-length fiction film in six years since the release of "I Am Love" (2009).
- Ralph Fiennes and Matthias Schoenaerts have both previously played Nazis—Fiennes in 'Schindler's List' (Steven Spielberg, 1993), and Schoenaerts in 'The French Dispatch' ( Saul Dibb, 2014).
- The fourth film by cinematographer Yorick Le Saux featuring Tilda Swinton. They previously collaborated on “Julia” (Eric Zonca, 2008), “I Am Love” (Luca Guadagnino, 2009), and “Only Lovers Left Alive” (Jim Jarmusch, 2013).
- Luca Guadagnino admitted that he drew inspiration from the works of directors Roberto Rossellini (1906-1977), Martin Scorsese (whose indomitable energy attracted him), and Jonathan Demme (who had a subtle feel for the nuances of the human soul). Additionally, he stated that he is a great admirer of writer Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995) and recognized American literary classic Paul Bowles (1910-1999), who, in his words, knew how to convincingly capture a character in an unfamiliar environment.
- Director Luca Guadagnino later admitted that he had never felt so comfortable on a film set as he did while working on "The Great Beauty."
- The fourth joint project of director Luca Guadagnino and cinematographer Yorick Le Saux. They had previously worked together on 'I Am Love' (2009) and the short films 'Destinée' (2012) and 'One Plus One' (2012).
- Members of The Rolling Stones helped with the screenplay. To start, the filmmakers organized a screening of "I Am Love" (2009) for Mick Jagger and the other musicians to familiarize them with Luca Guadagnino's work. The band's frontman liked the film, and Ralph Fiennes even became friends with Jagger. Following this, Fiennes and Guadagnino attended a Rolling Stones concert in Rome to personally present the upcoming film to the musicians. As producer Michael Costigan later recounted, everything went even better than they had hoped. Jagger and guitarist Ronnie Wood were thrilled with the upcoming movie, specifically the character Fiennes was to play. They gave the actor some tips regarding the dialogue about studio sessions that his character would discuss on camera. Consequently, while playing a Rolling Stones record, Harry's reflections or remarks were based on the things that were actually discussed in the studio during the recording process.
- Cinematographer Yorick Le Saux also worked on “Swimming Pool” (François Ozon, 2002), a new interpretation of Jacques Deray’s film of the same name starring Alain Delon and Romy Schneider from 1969.
- Matthias Schoenaerts began filming "Bodyguard" (Alice Winocour, 2015) just three weeks after finishing work on "The Big Splash".
- Ralph Fiennes and Matthias Schoenaerts had previously played Nazis – Fiennes in 'Schindler's List' (Steven Spielberg, 1993) and Schoenaerts in 'Suite Française' (Saul Dibb, 2014).
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