An Interview With Angelina Jolie

Josh saw some options on the main DVD menu. Among these were "interviews with the players," "bloopers," and "deleted scenes". He selected "interviews" and then selected "Angelina Jolie".

Josh sipped his cola and leaned back as the interview started.

"Angelina, when you took this role, did you have any qualms about the extended stretches where your character did not have any clothes?"

"As anyone who has followed the series knows, the nudity is nothing more than good, clean fun."

The interviewer and Miss Jolie laughed, and then the interviewer continued.

"It sounds silly, but I would have to agree. While you were unclothed for most of the film, the material really is innocent. But are you concerned with critics who say that these scenes were unneeded?"

"That is not true at all. The story would not work the same without it. The nudity is symbolic. Princess Astra is a heroic character who has to work with forces that she cannot control. In a film, you have a limited amount of time to make your point. As you know, she lives in a threatening world. Losing her clothes is a shorthand for not having power - being at the mercy of the whims of Gilder or Belboz. And I think that is part of the reason she is so popular. People can identify with her."

"How so?"

"I was talking with Brian about this..."

"Brian Blessed, who plays Captain Fogeno..."

"Yes. Astra is a character almost anyone can identify with. If your car breaks down and has to go to the shop, you are at the mercy of someone who knows how the car works. And if you don't have the car, you are stuck. So you are in the shop, impatiently waiting to get the car so that you can pick up with your life, and a man in overalls comes up and says, 'I have some bad news ...'. You think, 'Oh, no', and you know that you are either going to be scrambling to come up with a lot of extra money that you were not planning on spending, or that you are going to be arranging for rides from friends. We all have felt that sense of powerlessness at the hands of our own Belbozes, and so people root for Astra."

"So do you think that is why the films are so popular with the student population?"

"Now that you mention it, that would make some sense. University is a stressful environment, and your future life direction is determined by how well you do on exams and learning material from some sort of master. So there is a great empathy for someone like Astra. Everyone wants her to succeed."

"Do you look at Astra as a role model?"

"I did not accept the role with that idea. It is a fantasy tale after all. On the other hand, there is much that I admire about the character. She has to use her wit and charm. The things that she had - the privilege of her birth and skills with her sword - are often of no use to her, due to circumstances beyond her control, but she does not give up. You have to admire that."

1. The interview continues.
2. Josh chooses another option on the extras DVD.
3. Josh chooses to play the movie.

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