Cinema Scholars interviews William Moseley and Gilles Marini, stars of the new WW2 movie Murder Company. The film also stars Kelsey Grammer and Pooch Hall. Murder Company will be released in Select Theaters, On Digital and On-Demand on July 5, 2024.
Introduction
For moviegoers, summertime means big blockbuster films with disasters or superheroes, often both. But it is also prime time for patriotic films. Starting on Memorial Day through July 4th and onto Labor Day at the summer’s end, war movies are ever-present in theaters and on cable channels.
From beloved WW2 titles to sophisticated depictions of modern warfare in the Middle East, films about military campaigns have been and always will be an American mainstay. This summer director Shane Dax Taylor continues this great tradition with his latest WW2 epic, Murder Company.
Synopsis
In Murder Company, a group of soldiers are tasked with a top-secret operation two days ahead of D-Day. Their mission is to spirit a member of the French resistance across enemy lines to assassinate a high-ranking Nazi leader. As the soldiers make their trek toward their target, they face the outdoor elements, surprise ambushes, and even hand-to-hand combat along the way.
With a solid nod to classic war movies, Taylor keeps Murder Company very straightforward eschewing any flashy visual techniques or trendy music. While the film doesn’t shy away from the gruesome reality of war and death, its simplicity allows the inherent gravity of the situation to resonate on its own.
Various dynamics between the soldiers personify the loyalty and camaraderie among the greatest generation. And multiple sequences featuring high-intensity melees and gunplay illustrate the ongoing brutality in the fight against Hitler and his Nazi regime. The result is a throwback war movie reminiscent of the guts and glory classics that remain a hallmark of American cinema.
The Cast
Amid the innate heaviness of such film shoulders, Taylor conducts an ensemble cast fit for a challenging scenario. As paratrooper “Southern”, William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia franchise) depicts his young character with equal parts swagger and genuine trepidation. Pooch Hall (Ray Donovan) provides the film with much-needed levity as “Coolidge”, cementing his character as the most endearing of the bunch. And Gilles Marini’s (Sex and the City, the movie) resistance fighter, “Daquin”, seethes with unwavering intensity as a man on much more than a tactical mission.
A real delight in Murder Company is seeing Kelsey Grammer play the hardened General Haskel. Best known as TV’s Dr. Frasier Crane, Grammer has also won new fans with his Historic Battles for America series, among other patriotic favorites. Grammer’s command of the frame is as deft as ever, and it’s just plain fun watching him play a member of the military elite.
Cinema Scholars’ Rebecca Elliott recently caught up with both William Moseley and Gilles Marini ahead of Murder Company’s July 5th release. They talk about inspiration for their characters, authenticity in training for a period piece, and filming mainly in the great outdoors.
Interview
Rebecca Elliott:
Greetings! Thank you so much for graciously taking the time to chat about Murder Company. I love how the film harkens back to classic World War II films. Were you already a fan of war and history movies? And did you look to any particular titles for inspiration?
William Moseley:
Yes, I was a big fan of war films before I started Murder Company. My favorite film is Apocalypse Now, which is obviously based on Joseph Conrad’s book, “Heart of Darkness.” I think it’s such an interesting depiction of somebody starting as a normal guy and then descending into madness.
And similarly, with this film, I wanted Jim Southern to feel like he was quite naive. That he wasn’t a hardened fighter. And so over the course the film, he becomes more battle-worn and you feel an arc in his character. Especially the responsibility to the men around him.
Gilles Marini:
So it’s always a lot different coming from France. Because remember, the Americans came here to do a job. The French people, 91%, no, 88% of them, “Oh, the Germans are here. We’re German now.” They didn’t care. No, the French people didn’t fight. Only 12% of them, on average. That’s what I heard.
Luckily, my grandma was very much one of those people. She was part of the resistance. She would hide ammo in her skirts. So when I got their call [about the role], Rebecca, I’m going to tell you. I play my grandma in this film. I mean, the only thing that keeps a person alive is because they want to murder someone. Not a great life, right?
My grandma was just like that. Never smiled. She was shell-shocked from the Second World War. PTSD. Horrible. This horrific story that my mom didn’t want her to tell us. My grandma was really hurt. Her soul was shattered.
So I played that guy. I played that human. My mom knows about it. When I talk to my mom about it, she cries. She cannot even stop. I mean, I get emotional thinking about it because we really had a war hero on our hands. That’s my grandma.
Rebecca Elliott:
Well, that’s an amazing personal story to draw inspiration from. But also, did I hear that you were in the French military?
Gilles Marini:
Of course, yes. In France, 1993 and ’94 were the last years of an obligation to go to the army. I not only wanted to go, but I chose the hardest of them. We were in Special Forces, and so they treated you with a lot of discipline. And you need that at 18 years old.
So I lived it, I learned it. But my father was already a sniper during his time. So he told me quite a lot of things about being a sniper because I was playing one. That was the cheat. I love shooting. It’s insanely technical, and I learned quite a bit of fascinating things, for sure.
Rebecca Elliott:
Wow! So you had your grandmother’s influence as a member of the resistance and your father’s influence as a sniper, so you were set. William, what training and research went into your role as a paratrooper named Southern in Murder Company?
William Moseley:
We had a weapons specialist from Bulgaria explain to us how the weapons work, what you would do in specific circumstances, and what you wouldn’t do. When we were actually on set, they would shout at us, They’d be like, “You wouldn’t do that. Your finger would not be on the trigger when you’re walking. Get your finger off that trigger.”
So these guys were very committed to what they do. And there’s a lot of respect you have to have for people that have actually been to war as well. And to make sure that you don’t do a disservice to actual soldiers. They don’t look at the film and go, “Oh, that would never happen. This would never happen.” So we did as much as we could research-wise and tactical training to keep the film as authentic as possible.
Rebecca Elliott:
As war movies tend to do, nearly all of Murder Company takes place outside in the wilderness. Tell me about the challenges of working with an ensemble cast in the great outdoors. Was it more summer camp or boot camp?
William Moseley:
Well, I would say it was a cross between summer camp and boot camp. To be completely honest with you, I would dream about war at night. So it was definitely in my subconscious. I remember just being very tired at times, and the other guys were very tired. But we were very close to each other during the shooting of the film. We were together for 15-hour days, right on each other’s shoulders.
When one guy was tired, somebody else would lift him up. When he was tired, somebody else would lift him up. We really tried to make sure that we were there for each other. It’s an interesting thing to make a film because you are very close to the people you work with during the shooting. And then you just say goodbye, you go back to your families. But that is the nature of the job, and that is the way every film is made.
Rebecca Elliott:
Anything to add to that Gilles?
Gilles Marini:
There’s one guy who never waits for you. He doesn’t care. He goes away, and he’s the sun. When the sun goes out, you can’t really shoot exterior scenes. So the entire shoot was extremely calculated, and we were rushing against elements.
Listen, it’s a bunch of guys recreating something that really happened during the Second World War. It’s a gift from God. I’m thinking that way because all my 17 years of acting, I had a desire to play something like that. And then Richard Switzer, the producer, said, “He is yours.” It’s beautiful.
Rebecca Elliott:
You already mentioned that you have an appreciation because of your own service and because your grandmother actually lived through those terrible times. But do you feel like you have a new appreciation for all of the fighters, including the Americans, and the French resistance, from taking on this role? Can you tell me about anything that you might have learned or gained a better understanding of the role?
Gilles Marini:
It’s funny. I always tell people, I know how to speak French because some 18-year-old GIs were being paid $100 a month to get murdered for someone they don’t know. My appreciation went 100% at age six hearing my grandma, you understand, Rebecca? I was not allowed to say the word German in my head.
My grandma fought physically. My grandma was putting ammunition everywhere. Carried grenades. My grandma created a place for the Jews to hide and not get murdered. She was always very strong. My grandma was not a dude, not a female. She was a human, a war hero, and she died with nothing. Not even recognition.
Rebecca Elliott:
Incredible! William, do you think making Murder Company has given you a new perspective or appreciation for World War II veterans?
William Moseley:
I think it’s given me a great appreciation of war veterans. Both my grandfathers fought in World War II. One was, in fact, a paratrooper, the same as Jim Southern, the same as these guys who were part of the airborne division. My other grandfather was in the planes and was bombing the Japanese when his plane went down in the Pacific at night. Both pilots ejected, but he didn’t.
Unfortunately, he went very deep underwater. He broke the glass and swam to the surface and was just spotted by an American ship that saw him with a spotlight. Then he went into recovery in Australia. So I’d heard that story throughout my life, and that was very heroic to me. And it was quite moving. And so when you play a soldier, I have to make sure that I was giving everything I could to this part.
Rebecca Elliott:
Incredible. Both of you play heroes in Murder Company. Aside from your amazing grandparents, who are your heroes?
William Moseley:
In terms of a hero in my own life, I think you really look close to home. You always look at what your family has done for you, what your parents have done for you. And my mother is a very strong force in my life. I think when you see firsthand how people live and what they do, then you have a great appreciation for them.
Gilles Marini:
My father was my hero. He died when he was 45 years old. I’m older than my dad now. I won. He was the reason I was so dedicated. He was also the reason why I never gave up. In Hollywood, you’re like, “Oh, my God, I’m cold. Nobody wants me anymore.” And you’re like, “What am I going to do? Change my job?” I’m going to keep going until I don’t have anything left because that’s all I want to do in my life.
Rebecca Elliott:
Well, I cannot thank you both enough for talking with me about Murder Company. Good luck with everything.
William Moseley:
Thank you.
Gilles Marini:
Thanks, Rebecca.
Murder Company will be released in Select Theaters, On Digital and On-Demand on July 5, 2024.
