«At the cinema I am a portrait painter, this is my Dalì»- Corriere.it

“I’ve always loved Dalí, and I’m lucky enough to have been able to purchase a signed, authentic work of his years ago. What I didn’t know about him, that no book could restore to me, was the effect he had on others, the light that attracted and illuminated them. And, despite his insecurities, the supreme self-confidence he communicated. He knew deep down that he was Dalí. And the others felt it. It is a quality that goes beyond charisma. In some areas it is dangerous, but in art it is a gift to humanity». It’s nothing new for Sir Ben Kingsley — Oscar winner in 1983 with Gandhi — to play men out of the ordinary. But stepping into the shoes, and the iconic moustache, of the father of surrealism in Daliland by Mary Harron (director of American Psycho), due out May 25 through Plaion Pictures, was a feat. “Exhilarating but exhausting.”

Why?

«He was an indefatigable and very amusing man: he never got tired, he never stood still. At the end of each scene I was destroyed, every molecule of my body put itself at the service of his supreme intelligence in every field: art, color theory, nuclear physics, quantum. All combined with a deep understanding of human passions. The script, written by Mary’s husband John C. Walsh, helped me find the key. Well describes that mix of adoration and confusion that he aroused. But I asked to change one thing.

Which?

«At first Mary Harron, whom I respect very much as a director, had thought of also using archive materials. I begged her not to do it and to entrust the entire narrative arc entirely to me ».

The film tells the twilight of Salvador Dalí’s life, it captures him at the center of a world dominated by the figure of his wife Gala, who both venerated and exploited him.

«In Dalìland to which the title refers there were also those who saw him as the clown who never was. The more I learned about him, the more my admiration increased».

He was vital but vulnerable, he felt like a God but was terrified of death.

“A great soul, like a King Lear. I wondered how bizarre it must have been for someone convinced like him that genius shouldn’t die, to know instead that death is waiting to seize you. Living with that lust for life knowing it’s a losing battle.”

Even the relationship with Gala (Barbara Sukowa, in the film) is an enigma. The love of her life, one of the reasons for her success, but also a source of problems. He a voyeur, she full of lovers.
“He was afraid of death just as Gala was afraid of poverty. They were very close. Barbara is an actress who is not afraid of the dark side, it was a good duet between us. Among Dalì’s enigmas is her relationship with sex, of course. But there are aspects of a character that cannot be revealed, dissolved. That was part of her appetite for life, with this I feel like empathizing ».

A man as they say, larger than life. She has often happened to interpret them. How do you not succumb?

“People I don’t hesitate to define as geniuses. As an actor you have to push your hand to breaking point and beyond. Shakespeare, my spirit guide, has always come to my rescue. Even for Gandhi».

Tell us about it.
“Richard Attenborough saw me in Hamlet, chose me because of that. I had already been in the Royal Shakespeare Company for years. I don’t want to sound arrogant but it was a mix of opportunity and preparation: I was ready. I remember at the dinner after the Oscar ceremony a lady asked me: where did they find her? And I: don’t worry, not at the supermarket ».

How much did the statuette count?

«The Oscar was my golden gate from theater to cinema. On stage I was a landscape painter, in the cinema I became a portrait painter. From the survivor of Schindler’s listup to Trevor Sutter of the Marvel saga: that young people follow me moves me ».

He has many projects on the way: “The wonderful story of Henry Sugar” by Wes Anderson, “The way of the wind” by Malick.

“I work hard and I’m happy. I will also be in Italy in the autumn, I hope so».

You were knighted by Elizabeth II. What does the new king represent for you?

“It means a lot. I have been very honored to have collaborated with Re Carlo over the past twenty years. Polite, always incredibly informed about everything he meets and about the things of the world. His mother was an absolute icon. I am very impressed by this transition. If I meet him I will say: Well done, His Majesty».