In the Film, an Examination of a Society Overly Focused on Celebrities

"Since I'd never made a film based on a real event before, I struggled to depict it in my own style without falling into predictable plot points or clichés. I suppose that was one of the challenges."

As Sofia herself began by saying, this work differs somewhat from her previous original films, which focused on melancholic, naive, and lonely characters.

The subject matter is the actual series of incidents that occurred between 2008 and 2009 in Calabasas, a wealthy suburb of Los Angeles. It's the story of the "Bling Ring"—a group of teenagers who broke into the homes of admired Hollywood stars like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and Orlando Bloom, stealing approximately $3 million (about 300 million yen) worth of clothing and jewelry. First and foremost, what was the reason she decided to make a film about this episode?

"Even I find parts of this film irritating to watch; all the characters are just over-the-top and out of control. In scenes from the movie, they appear in court after being arrested wearing sunglasses, or they act like celebrities by appearing on reality shows despite being perpetrators. Their mannerisms, speech, clothes, and looks are completely not to my taste, and I can hardly empathize with them. I didn't want them to become any more famous, so I deliberately didn't use their real names."

"But that's precisely why I wanted to make this film. Today's society as a whole places too much importance on celebrity. It even imposes the value that one 'must be like a celebrity' on young people. I wanted to examine this imbalance through the film."

A Work I Couldn't Have Made 10 Years Ago

Come to think of it, it's true that the media, which encroached on the private lives and personal fashion of celebrities, has accelerated with the shift from the internet to the era of social media. Before we knew it, we stopped imitating their styles or questioning celebrity culture itself. The film also features striking scenes where the burglars, who don't even realize the danger of leaving evidence, proudly upload their stolen designer loot onto Facebook, and where the environment surrounding them changes as they are treated like celebrities simply for wearing celebrity clothes, both in clubs and on the street.

However, in this film, Sofia boldly depicts the incongruity and blind spots of an era where people unconsciously imitate celebrities and obsess over branding themselves by repeatedly posting on Facebook. Furthermore, it's a subtle irony that Sofia herself, the daughter of Francis Ford Coppola and deeply connected to Los Angeles—a city she called "a place where people have always wanted to become stars"—is the one tackling this subject.

"I'm often asked, 'How does it compare to when you were young?' but when I was a teenager, there was no internet, no social media, and no reality TV. I still have no interest in anything other than the internet, so I have no connection to those things. In short, 'The Bling Ring' is a film I couldn't have made 10 years ago."

"Moreover, teenagers are already confused, and now they're bombarded with an enormous amount of information. Since their identities aren't yet established, I think the burglars mistakenly believed they could become 'them' by stealing and wearing the clothes of celebrities who lived nearby."

The Reason for Casting Unknown Newcomers

Speaking of "identity," as she herself has said, "If I had to pick one theme, it's the exploration of how to find one's identity during the transitional phase of life," which is a major theme in Sofia's films.

And each time, her casting choices have garnered attention, featuring actresses like Kirsten Dunst (The Virgin Suicides) and Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation) in their youth, as they were searching for their identities. In this film, Emma Watson, who has transitioned from the Harry Potter series into a mature, accomplished actress, takes the lead, while the rest of the cast consists of unknown newcomers from the same generation as the actual perpetrators.

"I don't want to cast older actresses as teenagers, and I don't like it."

"If it's a 16-year-old role, I want someone of the same age to play it, so they can express the awkwardness and naturalness that comes with that age. Also, after meeting and talking with them, I choose people I can connect with, those I feel 'I can entrust this role to' after speaking with them. I think all the cast members this time were serious and thoughtful young people."

Filming at Paris Hilton's Mansion, a Real Victim's Home

Sofia's commitment to reality, which she values even in her casting choices, is something she particularly wants the audience to find in this film, given that it's based on a true story. Notably, the use of Paris Hilton's gorgeous mansion, the home of a real victim, as a filming location was arranged through her friend Stephen Dorff, who starred in Sofia's film "Somewhere."

"I was surprised to find myself liking Paris more than I expected. Despite her seemingly artificial appearance, she's very kind, sincere, and genuine. She has a warm heart."

Finally, regarding the soundtrack, which is indispensable in Sofia's films, she mentioned in an interview, "Personally, I wasn't very familiar with hip-hop, so it was fun to learn about music I didn't usually listen to. There was a song playing in a club that Emma liked, and we used it in the film. I was looking for music that could capture the world and energy of these kids."

In this sense, by maintaining realism in both the cast and music, and by unflinchingly depicting the reality of the times through the actual events, "The Bling Ring" is an even more ambitious work than before, while still exploring Sofia's signature theme of identity. In particular, it is a film that unsparingly confronts viewers who are close to celebrity culture and social media with many truths.

Sofia Coppola
Born in New York, USA, in 1971. Her father is film director Francis Ford Coppola. She made her directorial debut with "Lick the Star" in 1998. She won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for "Lost in Translation" (2003) and the Golden Lion at the 67th Venice International Film Festival for "Somewhere" (2010). Her other directorial works include "The Virgin Suicides" (1999) and "Marie Antoinette" (2006). Her cousins include actors Nicolas Cage and Jason Schwartzman. She is also a fashion icon and has worked as a collaboration designer for Louis Vuitton.

photo: YUSUKE HASHIMOTO / make: YOSHIYUKI WADA / hair: TAKESHI

The Bling Ring
Opens Saturday, December 14th, at Cine Quinte Shinjuku and other theaters nationwide.
Directed and Written by Sofia Coppola
Starring Emma Watson, Taissa Farmiga, Israel Broussard, Claire Julien, Katie Chang
Distributed by Arc Entertainment / Toho Towa
2013 / USA, France, UK, Japan, Germany / 90 min / R15+
http://blingring.jp/


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