Film Courage: I’m sure you are asked about this scene constantly, but the interrogation
scene from MENACE II SOCIETY?
I know you’ve probably been asked this question so much, but if you can just take us back
to that day during this scene, what was it like for you?
Bill Duke, Actor/Filmmaker/Author: I’d just finished doing a film I think it was in Canada
and acting in a film.
I rushed back and at the same day that I came in, I had to be on the set…the Hughes Brothers
and I just loved their work.
I liked who they were.
I read the script and I loved it.
It was only one scene and it’s like the way they set it up got me immediately into
the mood because the room was dark except there were three spotlights, one on the young
boy, one on the middle of the table where the was and once on myself.
Everything else was in shadow.
And the police had brought this young man into this place to intimidate him into telling
the truth and so he was sitting there really nervous, you know?
He thought he was smarter than everybody in the room and so when I questioned him it was
like I first brought the gun in, put it on the table and turned it toward him but said
to him “You are not necessarily getting out of here alive.
There’s nothing you can do about it.
What are you going to do?
We can all say that you reached for the and we defended ourselves and shot you.”
We didn’t say those words we just went…[motions to turning the gun around].
That was it, that said it.
I saw that and it was like “Oh boy, okay.”
And I started asking questions about was he there and he said “No” And he said “You
bought the beer here” and you brought the beer here.
And that’s when his hands start shaking.
And that’s when I knew that I had him.
And that little thought they were so smart but
they were so stupid.
And it was a feeling of joy when I said to him “You know something…you know you done
f*cked up don’t you?”
“No, no, no…”
“No, no, no, no, no…you know you done f*cked up right?”
Here’s what’s crazy, I was in Brussels in Belgium about five or six months ago acting
in a film with Nicholas Cage called MANDY right?
I’m sitting in a restaurant eating food by myself, this young Belgium kid comes up
to me and says “Excuse me sir but you know you done f*cked up right?”
I laughed so hard.
No matter what country I go to, I’ve made a lot of films as an actor and director and
the line that is said to me the most around the world no matter what city I go to and
you know something by young kids, that’s what’s amazing to me.
They’ve all seen that picture.
I don’t know how they see it.
They see it and they all repeat that line.
So yes, it’s interesting.
Film Courage: How has this impacted your life?
I’m sure it’s got to feel good that they’re seeing your work.
At the same time, maybe you’re surprised that they are young kids seeing this film
from all walks of life?
What does that do to someone?
Bill: Well, it means you did a good job because you impacted them in that way?
I also wish there was more than they remember you for than just a line?
You’re appreciate that they’ve seen your work and appreciate what you’ve done and
that’s always good because I’m very self-critical of my work and so when someone affirms that
what I’ve done has impacted them, that’s very rewarding, that’s very rewarding.
Because they don’t have to be kind, they don’t have to come up to you, they don’t
have to but they do.
At a certain age you’d think they’d forgotten about you but they haven’t, especially young
people do it from different countries.