Red (2017)

Cate Blanchett as: Mother

Directed by: Del Kathryn Barton
Selected Cast: Charmene Yap, Arella Plater, Alex Russell
Written by: Del Kathryn Barton
Release Year: 2017
Genre: Experimental
MPAA Rating: N/A

IMDb | Photos | Videos | Official Site

A savage tale of female strength, RED was inspired by the mating rituals of the deadly Australian redback spider. The male spider, after copulating with the female, is either devoured by her or bound and stored on her web for a later meal.

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Photoshoot; Soundtrack booklet

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Quotes from Others

  • Del Kathryn Barton:
    — “This brutal chronicle spoke to me of the poetics of female power as an inherent and indeed, elemental force in the universe. By intercutting human protagonists with extraordinary macro footage, Red has evolved into what I now consider to be an uncompromising celebration of female power.”
    — On Cate Blanchett: “She [Cate Blanchett] could not have been more perfect … I always aim for the best and it worked. My understanding of Cate is that she really welcomes those creative opportunities … she welcomes challenges and stepping into unknown creative spaces.”
    — “Cate [Blanchett] does this extraordinary performance where she cuts herself out of a suit, so it’s like she’s freeing herself from a type of skin and her female energy explodes into the universe.”
    — “In my experience of Cate [Blanchett], I see her as an artist of the highest order. She puts herself in situations where she’s approaching the unknown and there’s a lot of tension in that moment. I think she works very well with fine artists, for that reason. She wants to go on a bit of a mad journey and turn it upside down.”
    — “On shoot day, she nailed the long cutting performance on the first take,” she said. “Her energy exploded off the monitor. We were all blown away. Cate is mother. At that point I knew that the stakes on RED had just gone to another level. I was actually shitting myself just a little bit.”

Trivia & Facts

  • The short film debuted at Art Gallery of South Australia on 26 January 2017.
  • Cate Blanchett worked on the film for 12 hours only due to her busy schedule.
  • This was inspired by the mating ritual of Australian redback spiders where the female spider devours the male spider after mating.