Scarlett Johansson was moved by the reaction of the crowd to her movie Under the Skin during the Venice International Film Festival.
In an interview with The Guardian, the artistic director of this year’s festival, Alberto Barbera, shared some memorable moments from previous years. One such moment involved Scarlett Johansson almost crying when her movie, Under the Skin, was booed by attendees ten years ago. Barbera described it as one of the worst screenings he had ever attended and reassured Johansson that in time, the film would be recognized. As it turned out, his prediction was correct, with the movie now considered a cult classic.
Jonathan Glazer, the director of films such as Birth and The Zone of Interest, helmed the movie Under the Skin. The plot follows Johansson’s character, an alien living amongst humans in Glasgow while preying on men. Interestingly, some scenes were not scripted, with Johansson improvising with unsuspecting civilians using a hidden camera. In 2014, Johansson shared her thoughts on the audience’s response to the film at Cannes. She described the experience as “very strange.” Recently, in an exclusive interview, the actress gushed about attending the festival with her husband Colin Jost, calling it an “awesome” experience reminiscent of an “asteroid city.”
During a screening of “Under the Skin”, Scarlett Johansson watched the finished film with an audience for the first time while situated on a large mezzanine. She felt very exposed and vulnerable. As the movie ended and the lights came up, the audience cheered and booed with equal enthusiasm, leaving Johansson unsure of how to respond. She was surprised and taken aback by the mixed reactions.
As I glanced at Jonathan, his face was beaming with joy. It was evident that he was over the moon. After we exited the theater, I expressed my confusion about the experience, whereas Jonathan couldn’t contain his enthusiasm and declared it to be the most incredible sound he had ever heard.
Johansson shared with Harper’s Bazaar UK her thoughts on the reaction that the movie received at the Venice Film Festival. According to her, the audience’s response was a mixed bag of cheers, boos, speechlessness, and vocal reactions. She described it as “mad,” but also acknowledged that the audience was engaged, which was the main point. Johansson, speaking as an audience member herself, expressed her desire to have an experience when watching a film, regardless of whether she loved it or hated it. She hoped to still be thinking about it three days later, with the visuals imprinted in her mind.
Make sure you never miss out on any of the latest stories by subscribing to PEOPLE’s daily newsletter. You’ll be kept informed about all the hottest celebrity gossip and fascinating human interest stories that PEOPLE has to offer. Best of all, it’s completely free!
In her interview with the outlet, the actress discussed the various themes portrayed in the experimental film.
According to Scarlett Johansson, watching her own film is a personal experience for her, making it difficult to analyze the movie objectively. She finds it hard to identify specific themes or subjects portrayed in the film because she becomes too emotionally invested and fearful while watching it. However, she believes that in the future she may be able to recognize the underlying messages and concepts of the film. Recently, when asked to describe the movie, Johansson and her co-director Jonathan were unable to provide an immediate response.