Richard Linklater’s ‘Blue Moon’ Lights Up Berlin as Crowd Goes Wild for Ethan Hawke’s Unrecognizable Transformation Into Lorenz Hart

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Ethan Hawke’s exceptional performance in “Blue Moon” – his first collaboration with director Richard Linklater in a decade – left audiences cheering at the Berlin Film Festival.

At the Berlinale world premiere, the crowd responded very favorably to the biographical musical drama, which chronicles the life of American lyricist Lorenz Hart (Hawke), as he grapples with alcoholism and depression during the debut night of “Oklahoma!”, a musical co-written by his former creative partner Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.

After the screening concluded, there were joyful shouts heard throughout the Palast, in honor of Linklater and his cast – with the most thunderous applause reserved for Hart (played by Ethan Hawke) from his “Before” series and “Boyhood”, who was smartly dressed in a plaid suit and vibrant multi-colored tie. Throughout “Blue Moon”, Hart is nearly ever-present on screen, and he appears significantly different – particularly in terms of his stature (as the character was just 5 feet tall). Additionally, there were cheers for Hart’s fellow cast members who attended, including Margaret Qualley and Andrew Scott.

Linklater stated after the screening that he aimed to create a movie with a tone similar to a Rogers and Hart song – a blend of impeccable construction, cleverness, melancholy, sadness, humor, and more. However, he mentioned that Hawke was too young for the role initially as the film had been in production for 12 years.”

– Linklater expressed post-screening that he wanted to make a movie with a Rogers and Hart song-like tone (a mix of sophistication, wit, melancholy, sadness, humor, etc.). He had been working on the film for 12 years but found Hawke was not quite right for the part at the time.

In a straightforward manner, Hawke described his method for the role as being like music or a line drawing by Matisse – it was very basic. However, he had to deal with an overly enthusiastic fan in the audience who interrupted him repeatedly while speaking. He graciously replied to her, saying ‘Thank you so much, I love you too. I feel the same way, let’s meet later,’ even as she persisted in trying to talk. Later on, he did take time out to sign an autograph for her and politely accepted her affectionate pat on the arm.

The applause for “Blue Moon” lasted longer than usual in local terms, clocking in at more than a minute. However, here in Berlin, there’s no tallying or comparison being made, as suggested by Tricia Tuttle, the festival director, who earlier told EbMaster that “those I know who appreciate cinema dislike the applause counter.

As a follower, I’m excited to share that “Blue Moon,” contending for the Golden Bear, seems poised to be Berlinale’s first major, buzzworthy, and star-studded success to have its world premiere here. So far, we’ve had Robert Pattinson and Timothée Chalamet visit as part of their “Mickey 17” and “A Complete Unknown” promotional tours respectively.

The Clap-o-meter notwithstanding, “Blue Moon,” a contender for the Golden Bear, appears to have made Berlinale’s first significant, high-profile, and celebrity-packed debut, having world premiered in Berlin. Previously, we’ve had Robert Pattinson and Timothée Chalamet stop by as part of their “Mickey 17” and “A Complete Unknown” tours.)

Sony Pictures Classics plans to debut “Blue Moon” in the United States, with a scheduled release set for May.

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2025-02-18 23:48