‘Challenging’ War Machine was almost never made: Brad Pitt

TOKYO — Brad Pitt is in high spirits, and for good reason.

The American actor is celebrating the upcoming release of his passion project, War Machine.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday (May 22) at Tokyo’s Ritz-Carlton hotel, Pitt said that if it had not been for Netflix, War Machine — produced by his film company, Plan B — which was also behind films such as the Oscar-winning Moonlight, and 12 Years A Slave — may not have seen the light of day.

The 53-year-old explained that traditional movie studios and cinema distributors tend to avoid the “financial risk” that comes with “challenging material” such as War Machine.

The dramedy, said Pitt, “illuminates the absurdity of war”. The film, which follows the story of real-life United States army general Stanley McChrystal and his fall from grace, has been a tough sell indeed.

Firstly, it is billed as a war satire — a genre that may not win mainstream favour — and is based on the late Rolling Stones journalist Michael Hastings’ 2012 book, The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of American’s War In Afghanistan.

It has also been expensive to make — War Machine reportedly boasts a budget of around US$60m (S$83.2 million).

“Quite honestly, without a delivery system like Netflix, this film probably would not have been made. And if it did get made, (it would have been) at a sixth of the budget,” said Pitt.

There has also been controversy over whether films distributed via streaming platforms hold the same weight as those which go the traditional theatrical-release route. Are they, for instance, Oscar-worthy?

To Pitt, it is the story that matters. And with those such as Netflix willing to take more risks, there are “more stories being told, more film-makers getting shots”, he said.

“I think this is nothing but a fantastic moment for all of us (in the industry),” he added.

THE SITUATION

While the US, war, and movie-making were all conversation topics Pitt was willing to engage with in Tokyo, there was one topic that out of bounds.

The father of six went through a high-profile split from wife Angelina Jolie, who filed for divorce last September, citing irreconcilable differences. The media had been sternly warned against asking questions of a personal nature.

Regardless, judging by the man’s sprightly demeanour and wide-eyed excitement at the hype War Machine has built, Pitt is focusing on the positives in life. The movie — which also stars Tilda Swinton, Topher Grace and Ben Kingsley — is set for release on Friday on Netflix, and will have its Tokyo premiere today.

Pitt plays General Glen McMahon, the fictional version of McChrystal, the military official whose knowledge of special operations led to his appointment as commander of US troops in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010. A damning 2010 Rolling Stone report, The Runaway General by Hastings (which led to him writing The Operators), painted McChrystal as a brash, president-bashing commander whose aides had little faith in the White House administration. McChrystal resigned following the story.

He had also previously been linked to the cover-up involving the 2004 death of American football star, Pat Tillerman. McChrystal had claimed that Tillerman had died in combat, but it was later revealed that Tillerman’s death had been the result of friendly fire.

As a whole, War Machine pokes fun at America’s involvement in Afghanistan. In the role of McMahon, Pitt — who reprises the spirit of the Nazi-hunting Aldo Raine from Inglourious Basterds — is a hubristic buffoon. His troops are a group of fraternity boys.

Asked why the Afghanistan war — and McChrystal himself — was a subject Pitt wanted to take on, and the actor said there is a pressing need to question the “situation” America is in right now.

War Machine’s writer and director, Australian film-maker David Michod, who was also in Tokyo, said that the Afghanistan war itself has been a topic of interest for him.

“The United States and Australia have been ... in Afghanistan now for more than 16 years, and that in itself is terrifying,” he said. “In all of the reading I have done about this war, I can’t work out why it has been going on for so long, and how it is possible that people ... are still pretending as though there is some kind of victory waiting for them just around the corner,” said Michod.

And the character of McChrystal — as fleshed out by Hastings — is a fascinating one, said Michod, best known for the critically acclaimed film Animal Kingdom.

“What I saw at the centre (of Hastings’ book) was a character, a general who was delusional because he was so removed ... from the experiences of the troops on the ground and from the civilian world that he was there to serve,” said Michod.

Michod and Pitt have had great fun with the character.

In the film, McMahon is portrayed as seeing himself “as an emblem of greatness, when actually he (is) quite silly”, said Pitt.

That, however, does not take away from the seriousness of the topic of war, he said.

“We start with an absurd tone, but then the film turns quite serious when we’re dealing with the expense of young men and women, life and limb, great cost to civilian life,” said Pitt.

He added: “We wanted to ask questions ... We really think it’s time to take a good look at our strategy and our tactics, instead of this ‘business as usual’ climate.”

War Machine premieres on Netflix on May 26.