Anders Thomas Jensen on the writing of ‘Riders of Justice’

Once I had set up a Zoom interview to discuss his latest movie with Anders Thomas Jensen, Chennai was the first time I figured Anders Thomas Jensen would know it. Riders of Justice. Connecting from his dwelling in Denmark, Jensen says, “Oh, you’re in Chennai,” placing a smile on my face, “I’ve been to many airports and I at all times see Chennai and Mumbai as quickly as I’m in Dubai or Asia.”

We met two days after the world première of Riders of JusticeThe movie was the first to be shown at the fiftieth Worldwide Movie Competition Rotterdam 20,21. Mads Mikkelsen stars as Markus, a war veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). He must care for Mathilde, his child, after Mathilde’s death in a terrible prepare accident. The movie explores life, religion, and coincidence.

Drawing inspiration from his personal life, Jensen discusses the movie’s underlying theme amongst others. Excerpts:

There are three threads to the narrative; there may be Markus and his daughter Mathilde, Otto and his pals, and a grandfather-granddaughter. Whenever you write a movie with particular person story arcs, versus a simple story, what comes first — the character or the arc?

Each case is different. Markus is the person who initiated it in this particular case. The theme was the inspiration for this film. It was a misplaced awareness of my purpose in life that I had been going through during midlife. I realized that the only thing which offers meaning for our lives was connection. It is possible to buy issues for my children if I work hard. From there, it all starts.

But if you go too deep into the rabbit gap, the point where these connections are lost, then you will find yourself in despair. These ideas flooded my mind and I started writing about the man. [Markus] Whoever has PTSD will be concerned on a number of occasions.

The movie features 5 main characters but it also has an overarching theme about destiny and coincidence. What side do you find yourself in?

Markus is my model [from the film]. I am not a believer. But, I like to surround myself with people who are similar. I am open to any kind of behavior, be it faith, medicine, or alcohol. All the pieces are a huge pile of coincidence, which is my sole philosophy.

In an interview you mentioned your love for playing with fashion. Riders of Justice Although drama can be broadly categorized, it also has humor and motion. Whenever you shift the movie’s tone from one style aspect to a different, do you, as a screenwriter, fear about diluting the impression?

Yes. To make this movie I wanted to mix a straight-forward drama with some of my comedy films, in order to test if they could be combined and made plausible. This was the first thing Otto learned. [Nikolaj Lie Kaas]. He’s what binds these worlds together. He is the one who enters the pure world. [Markus and Mathilde’s life] The loopy sidet [tech geeks].

There was the option to make a comedy film. We chose something that would be fun, entertaining, and funny for 90 minutes. We wanted 60 minutes of entertainment and about half an hour of drama. Your question is answered by me: I love movies that challenge style conventions. I find the style system boring because it is so predictable. [the audience] Get exactly what you are looking for…together, we can giggle, laugh or cry. The movies that make my emotions rise are what I love.

This is the fascinating side of Riders of Justice Markus. A fixed curiosity is what drives me to find out more. Mads Mikkelsen does it in a secretive way. That was the idea? He wanted to keep a bit of mystery around him.

You can definitely say it is a thriller. But I do know Markus the man and his origins. Mads always does that. You’ll feel that he has something more to offer than the standard character. Mads’s casual look is more than a quick glance. It could be that there is more.

The best use of music is another factor that grabs attention. You can see Markus’ emotional state from his background rating. We get the bombastic music if he resorts to violence and this chorus music when violence is over. What happens when you work with your composers together?

The same composer has been my collaborator for many years [Jeppe Kaas] It has been so many years. Many of our choir songs are icons of Danish Christian music. They actually faucet into individuals’s religion. Irony was also helpful. Markus claims that he initially rejects God’s pieces. We give Markus this God-themed rating every time he is in pain. This will help him get going again.

It could be one scene. Markus learns about this coincidence and responds with an exaggerated response. Was he trying to find a solution for his spouse’s death? Was he damaged by the truth that he killed the incorrect man or was it as a result of he couldn’t get a solution for his spouse’s demise?

The producers agreed to show the movie to troops with PTSD. They found it funny and they loved it. This was their favorite part of the movie. Generally, if you endure from PTSD, you get right into a violence house the place you’re chasing after one thing and if you don’t succeed, your thoughts explodes. Markus was the same. To himself, he lies that vengeance is the answer. His life falls aside in that scene due to he has dedicated a horrible deed and has to come back phrases along with his spouse’s demise.

Mathilde (the daughter) is the moral centre of the movie…

Yes, it is where we place all our feelings. It is only when something extraordinary, regular and real that you are experiencing the emotion. She is the one one that is regular in a movie everyone isn’t. Mathilde needed a consistent actor. [Andrea Heick Gadeberg].

The end offers closure to the entire arc.

A Christmas eve is a great time to end. There is nothing better than the coming together of households.

Which activities are you currently engaged in?

Nikolaj Arcel is my script writer. [The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo fame]. The advantage to COVID-19 is that you do not have to work as hard.