“I instantly clicked with it because I liked Poe. In the past, everyone had always gone for the bio pic of Poe’s life, which is really hard to do. Ultimately it becomes quite depressing. Look at his life: his parents killed while he was young, rejected by his adoptive father, every woman he ever loved died of tuberculosis or consumption; he was always moving around, married his thirteen-year-old cousin… This film took the construct of almost like putting Poe in one of his own stories, so you have this unique ability to weave in aspects of his real life and his work.” The crucial role of Poe ended up in the hands of Cusack, who
Cusack embraces his dark side.
Detective Emmett Fields (Luke Evans) and Poe (John Cusack).
was thrilled about the opportunity to flesh out one of his favorite writers. “I was all in at the very thought at playing Poe,” shares the actor. “I was dying to play him and couldn’t have said yes quickly enough. I wanted to make sure the screenplay captured his language, vocabulary, dexterity, and humor, and that it wasn’t just a genre piece with Poe at the center. It turned out that was the farthest thing from James’s mind, and we pretty much saw the movie the same way when we met.” Life-long Poe student Cusack elaborates on the blend of truth and creative license and his own care with the character. “Obviously this story didn’t happen to Poe, but the attitudes and things that come out of his mouth are pretty well fact-checked. You look through the books on Poe and his letters, and his voice is pretty clear. I could always go back into the treasure troves of his work and pull a term, attitude, or turn of phrase. Poe was fascinating in that he was well aware he was writing to titillate an audience, writing pulp in a way, but was also writing masterpieces. I wanted to make sure we got the other aspect of him, and that was that he was a man of letters and one of the literary intellectual giants of his day.” McTeigue was impressed not only with Cusack’s respect for the character, but also with an essential quality he saw in both Poe and the HIGH FIDELITY star. “From the first meeting I had with John, it was clear he got it. He really loved the new Poe and was willing to dive in. While John is so well loved, I think there is a darkness to him that hasn’t been exploited. If you meet with him multiple times you start to see that, and I thought it would be good for the Poe character.” That darkness also bonded Cusack with the writer, and this
is where the actor sees a parallel between Poe and the film’s namesake bird. “I think everybody has [that darkness], and that is what makes him great. He was a pioneer into the subconscious and all the dark places and crevices where we keep things hidden. He had the fantastic courage to bring those things out. Plus he had an epic, totally tragic life, and was shaped by his experiences. I can completely relate to him as an artist. The raven was a creature that lived on the edge of this world and the underworld, and he was a journeyer into those dark places. A lot of great artists do that. I think one can relate to him just in the sense that he went there. You can follow these pioneers down there and get initiated. “Poe was so absurd, and actually pretty funny, with a wicked
Emily (Alice Eve), Poe’s “beloved”.
sense of humor,” Cusack continues. “He was a libertine, itching for fights with Wordsworth, Longfellow, anybody. He said, ‘I will never put up with anything I can put down,’ and didn’t have a kind word to say about any other writer. He was at war with the world. There wasn’t any reverence for anything other than the final mysteries of death and heaven and hell, the limits of one’s soul and the limits of one’s sanity.” Poe was reported to be struggling with various illnesses and
FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND • MAR/APR 2012 49
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