By Brock Swinson.
Michael Petroni
Backtrack follows the story of therapist Peter Bower who borders on hysteria when he learns that his patient roster is made up of ghosts. To fight for his sanity, Bower must go back to his hometown and dig up a forgotten past.
Australian-born writer/director Michael Petroni has also penned films such as The Book Thief (2013), The Rite (2011), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010), and Queen of the Damned (2002), and in this thriller he guides Adrien Brody (The Pianist, King Kong) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Hunt for Red October) down a psychological journey that uncovers hidden secrets of self-perspective and misguided-memories.
Sam Neill as Duncan Stewart and Adrien Brody as Peter Bower in Backtrack
What led you into screenwriting?
A breakdown on stage [he laughs]. I was something of a stand-up comedian in Australia and I had had a bit of success with it. I got into writing TV but I was still performing and one day, I was literally performing, and I thought, “I never want to do this again.”
It wasn’t even a bad night—even though I had plenty of those. It was just somewhat of a mental shift. I consider it my Shine moment. It was silence. There were words coming out of my mouth and I wasn’t attached to them. At that point, I gave up and very quickly pursued work behind the camera.
How long were you in stand-up?
Too long. About seven years I think.
How long was your longest set?
I had a whole show. Forty minutes or so. At one point, I was in a trio and we had an hour show as well.
Many of your films are relatively dark so it’s somewhat surprising to hear this type of background. Backtrack involves inner turmoil, potential hallucinations and even a question of sanity. Where did this idea come from?
I was shooting my first movie, called Till Human Voices Wake Us (2002). It occurred to me that there was another story around the same theme that was a darker, more frightening version—specifically certain scenes rather than the plot. I started to think about it way back then and when I got an opportunity to write for myself, I wrote it. I started it off as a writing exercise. I wanted to see if I could write something that had a lot of missteps for the reader. I wanted to play with the reader’s assumption. By the end of it, I had written Backtrack.
Guy Pearce as Dr. Sam Franks and Helena Bonham Carter as Ruby in Till Human Voices Wake Us
The film is somewhere between a thriller and a horror movie. How would you define the genre for this piece?
I think that was sort of the result of it being a writing exercise. It morphs genres. It starts out as a psychological thriller that goes into a ghost movie and then heads towards a detective movie. The intention was to keep flipping the movie. As a writer, this is great, but it can be somewhat challenging to make as a filmmaker.
There is a great deal of psychology throughout. What kind of research was involved in writing the film?
I mainly drew on what I know. I have a psychology degree and I mainly stuck with the unreliability of memory.
Are there any cinematic influences that come to mind when writing this story?
I don’t think you can write a film without being influenced by what you’ve seen. Approaching this film as a director, I was very interested in the camera being a participant in the storytelling. I looked at a lot of Hitchcock movies.
Janet Leigh as Marion Crane in Hitchcock’s Psycho
Adrien Brody has done a handful of these psychological thrillers (The Jacket, The Village, Wrecked). Did you write this movie with any particular actors in mind?
I never like to write with an actor in mind because then I will just hear that actor’s voice. All actors are meant to sound great so I’ll just hear that voice and lose my perspective. I like to ignore that until we’re up to that point in casting. Then I think very seriously about that question.
When you’re alone in the room, what are some of your writing rituals?
They’ve changed over the years. I used to be very superstitious. I had to have everything on my desk a certain way or wear certain clothes. I got out of that at some point when practicality hit. I suppose superstition went out the window when I had kids!
In terms of process, I always start out with the best intentions of getting up early to write and I’ll be very successful at doing that for my first act. Then, inevitably, my writing slides from morning to afternoon, and then I’m always finishing my script at two o’clock in the morning. It’s a process. I’ve learned to accept that.
What is the overall time frame for this story?
Eight-to-twelve weeks. I think I wrote the first draft in twelve weeks. It pretty much stayed the same. I think I had an idea of the overall plot points, but in terms of the exercise of writing, I just sort of went on instinct. I would feel like something had to happen and then make something happen. It was really just an exercise. I don’t think I’ve written like that since then.
Michael Petroni with Adrien Brody on set of Backtrack
What do you find to be the most difficult step in the writing process?
Pages 30 to 50. You write towards your inciting incident or your first act moment, and then that launches you into your second act. Then you’re aiming for the midpoint and you’ve got that whole patch between the inciting incident and the next big thing that happens. It’s always about character struggles and those pages always show how little homework I’ve done on the characters. At that point, I let go of the plot, (which is something I’m always exciting about), and I have to go back and tool around to find the character.
What makes a good story?
You definitely need something original. Even if it’s an old story, you need a new take on it. I don’t mind the old trope, but you need an original take. The other thing would be an interesting character. You need someone with depth. Whenever I end up in trouble, it’s because I haven’t thought hard enough about the character. You can never do enough homework on the characters you’re writing.
Is there anything you wish you had known before entering the world of screenwriting?
Let go of ideas. You have to trust that ideas will come to you. You have to trust that there is always a better idea just around the corner. It can be really hard to let go of something that you think is the underpinning of the story. But often it’s not. If something is pushing you in another direction, you need to go with that feeling and let go of those ideas.
Adrien Brody as Peter Bower in Backtrack
Can you elaborate on your process for letting go of ideas? Do you have a circle of people you trust to help you decide what stays and what goes?
I have reads, but I usually eliminate before those moments. Deep down, I know the answer. The struggle is usually about my resistance.
The other piece of advice that I wish I had known, was that once you do decide on something, commit to it. Do the whole version of it. Don’t do the half version. It feels like it’s more work and it may be, but it’s always worth it. Then, if you do the entire version and it doesn’t work, you will know next time because that knowledge will then guide your way.
What films do you watch over and over again?
There are a few movies that I have to see at least once a year. Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) and Rear Window (1954). I think Contact (1997) for some reason. I always find myself watching it. There’s a bunch, but the list could get boring.
Jodie Foster as Eleanor Arroway in Contact
Is there anything else you’d like to share to about the film?
Go see it. It’s a genre piece that delves into an area that I’m very interested in and that’s memory and “what is memory?” “What are we outside of the existential moment that we’re living in?” That always fascinates me. We are just a construction of ideas outside of the moment we’ve experienced but without it, we are not ourselves. What we construct is essentially what we are and I find that fascinating.
Do you find your writing different when you’re planning to direct?
Writing to direct is different because I know that I can’t bullshit myself. I’m going to have to shoot what I write so the bullshit detector comes on and you can’t play smoke and mirrors with it. You have to know that what you’ve written will work so you start to scrutinize your writing more. That’s the difference.
When writing for a studio, there is more room for experimentation because it literally states in the contract that you’ll be writing more than one draft. It’s more collaborative and you’re more wiling to experiment with other’s people’s ideas. I definitely feel more dictatorial when I’m set to direct.
