If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise...

Brendan Muldowney’s Savage is an uncompromising take on the revenge film. Here there will be none of the usual Irish comic relief, what we have is a very human struggle which seeks to show us something recogniseable in ourselves. The result is a very definite step forward for Irish cinema, and brings more relief than any amount of comedy. We had the opportunity to sit down with director Brendan Muldowney in the run up to the film’s release.

Muldowney’s career began in college making short films. It was in IADT that Muldowney’s long-running partnership with producer Conor Barry began. Muldowney believes that the main ingredient of their partnership has been luck.
 

“It was a pretty lucky thing because a lot of directors are out there moving from producer to producer and even working with different companies who have different agendas whereas me and Conor know each other so we are able to focus on what we want.”

This level of focus is evident in Savage which has been so well made as to be almost unrecogniseable as a ‘low-budget’ film. Having received much-needed support and funding from the Irish Film Board¸ Muldowney and Barry then went about finding funding the old-fashioned way. For newcomers to the world of feature-length shooting, they have shown more passion and enthusiasm for their craft than many directors on enormous Hollywood budgets could muster. Optimistically, Muldowney feels that having had a low budget and a short four-week shooting schedule adds something to the experience that is Savage.
 

“It made us focus on how we were going to shoot, a style, and made us very organised. I had done a lot of short films and had prepared myself for understanding my limitations [...] It did inform the style of the film. We immediately knew we had to keep it on long lenses and not see too much around because then we don’t have to lock off sets, and we don’t need too many lights because when you’re focusing on a smaller area you’re not having to light. In a way, the story matched that because that kind of edgy, close-up style suits.”

Irish cinema is a world which is constantly growing and changing, films like Savage show the capability of Irish cinema to adapt to budget and time constraints and become something wonderful. The current move to the mainstream show that Hollywood budgets aren’t always necessary for success and Muldowney hopes that there will not be too many changes to come in the Irish Film Board, without whom, he acknowledges, Savage wouldn’t exist. When asked if he sees any weaknesses in the Irish film industry at present, Muldowney shifts from a directorial role to the role of an Irish film fan, stating that he doesn’t feel qualified to discuss the industry from any position other than that of a fan.

"My personal opinion is that it is an exciting time for Irish cinema, there’s a lot of very exciting films coming out, His and Hers, One Hundred Mornings, Eamon, Sensation, Snap. We’ve gone through all kinds of periods in Irish Cinema, different genres and trends. It all seems to be very accomplished, there seems to be people who are trained and aren’t trying to copy anything."

According to Muldowney, the idea for Savage originated from a number of things, the first being the case of Bernhard Goetz, otherwise known as the ‘Subway Vigilante’. Goetz was both praised and vilified in the media for his violent subway display of ‘speed-shooting’. Having been mugged himself previously, he was drawn into a moral grey-area wherein some felt he was completely within his rights to protect himself whilst others felt that he was merely adding to the violence which he fought against. Muldowney also admits to having been obsessed with the rules of revenge films and how this could be subverted. 

This moral grey-area is one which is explored beautifully in Savage which contains darkly violent scenes, but retains judgement. Having been upset by a number of reports on violence, Muldowney knew the exact feeling he wanted to give his audience, his ability to remain non-judgemental here marks his genius as a director. 
 

"That horrible little broken hearted feeling for humanity, I just wanted to put that on the screen because then to me, you just build your own answers. There’s not even that much explicit violence, it’s just the performance and it goes on and on. It’s upsetting, which is what I was trying to do. [...] I wanted that to be an assault on the audience."

Muldowney plays both writer and director for Savage, preferring the personable world of directing to the isolated writing world, looking back, he sees some problems with the script.
 

"The original character was a 30 year old virgin working in a library, he was a very extreme character, very shy, duffel coat and glasses. Over time it changed, but the problem is that there is still a hang-over from the old script of being a bit shy. Darren is quite a charismatic guy. If I had given him that bit of banter in Paul we would have known he’s a smart talking journalist paparazzi who’s able to jump on the back of a police van and think on his feet."

"Darren’s face always stuck in my mind from seeing him in films. We hired him without an audition so we just knew. We were lucky that he’s the right age and he’s around at the moment.

Savage is contemporary Irish cinema at its finest and will see its Irish cinematic release on September 17th, Muldowney’s hopes for the film are simple.
"I hope Irish audiences go and see it and I hope it has elements of Ireland and Dublin today that they can recognise."

Luckily for us, Muldowney states:
“I’m committed to Ireland, I don’t see myself as being hugely attracted to Hollywood.”
As for what he himself brings to the table for Irish Cinema, that is left to audiences to decide. “Irish Cinema is growing, it’s different people doing different things. Whatever it is I bring is my place.”

Ciara O’Brien.
Read our review of Savage here...