AN INTERVIEW WITH
DIRECTOR MICHAEL HOFFMAN
Director of Emperor's ClubMichael Hoffman's grandfather was a Methodist revivalist preacher. His father taught him the Bible. At age six he checked out his first book by Shakespeare from the library. He has a life long love of the literary classics from Shakespeare to the Bible and Pilgrim's Progress. In fact, he directed Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM in 1999. He is a former Rhodes Scholar.
If there ever was a film that was perfectly suited to Michael Hoffman this is it. Interestingly enough, it is about a scholar who loves classic literature, just like he does. Additionally, the underlying story is the Biblical story of Paradise Lost, a story that his Methodist grandfather preached many times.
I spoke with Michael Hoffman regarding his latest film THE EMPEROR'S CLUB. He was very straight forward about the deeper meaning of this incredible film.
"It's about the snake in Paradise," he said. "The school can be thought of as a Paradise, or perhaps a Utopia. And then the snake enters... The professor bites."
As I viewed the film I could understand what Hoffman was talking about. The Prep School did indeed represent a form of innocence and a type of paradise in terms of the Professor William Hundert (Kevin Kline). It was an ideal professorship in a perfect place. The perfect job in a virtual paradise setting.
Professor Hundert has a wonderful code of ethics. He is exemplary in his conduct and character. He views his mission as passing those values on to his students. He is like a priest, a minister, a spiritual father to his students. He sincerely wants to mold the character of his students.
And then the snake enters.
"We all have those moments," director Hoffman states. "The film is about how we deal with those moments. Professor Hundert began to define his life by his weak moment."
The snake --the temptation, the weak moment-- comes via Senator Bell (Harris Yulin) and his disobedient son Sedgewick (Emile Hirsch). "You will not mold my son," the Senator tells Professor Hundert. According to Director Hoffman, the Senator was saying, "I will be the spiritual father, not you."
The professor seems to go into a tail spin, and in an effort to demonstrate to Sedgewick that he can be more than his misdeeds the professor alters his grade from an A- to an A+. He yielded to temptation. A little thing that becomes a defining moment. Paradise lost.
Professor Hundert's whole life changes. He has fallen from grace. He can not find his way. He questions his own character.
"We all have moments like that," says Director Hoffman. "We replay them again and again in our minds. Sometimes we define our lives by those moments. Hundert became so focused on his own error. He became haunted."
"I like the story because it never fully resolves Hundert's problem. It is like real life. The ending is both surprising and inevitable."
"The film demonstrates the need of forgiveness."
"And especially the need to forgive ones own self and move on, right?" I asked.
"Exactly," responded Hoffman, "We need to move on. We are more than those 'what-if' moments."
"We need redemption from moments like that."
Amen!
[I]Copyright Hollywood Jesus. All rights reserved[/I]
Reviewed by: David Bruce
Date Posted: December 6th, 2002
Article supplied by:
Hollywood Jesus
