Mortensen digs deep in new role

A CHAT WITH VIGGO: Violence, reality -- and the nude scene everyone's talking about

It was Tuesday - but more to the point, Sept. 11 - when Viggo Mortensen called from New York City to discuss "Eastern Promises," the new David Cronenberg thriller he stars in.

"It's strange to be talking about movies," said Mr. Mortensen. "It seems on one level to be quite frivolous. It should be a day to be quiet and reflective, I suppose."The former Watertown resident, who graduated from Watertown High School in 1976 and from St. Lawrence University, Canton, in 1980, said he's been thinking about how New Yorkers persevered in the six years since the World Trade Center attacks and how they're "thinking a little more about family and friends and valuing life a little more."

"Sometimes there are tragic events that happen to us," he said. "The main thing is to keep on, not to ignore what's happening, to learn from it."

Mr. Mortensen, who starred in Mr. Cronenberg's 2005 Oscar-nominated "A History of Violence," said the Canadian director's work is being labeled as gratuitously brutal by some critics, perhaps because of ongoing sensitivities following 9-11.

But Mr. Mortensen disagrees, saying that the reviewers are reacting to Mr. Cronenberg's skill at depicting "the emotional consequences" of the violence.

"In reality, when you look at 'History of Violence' or 'Eastern Promises' in the context of other movies," Mr. Mortensen said - reciting a list that includes "The Departed" and the "Bourne" triptych - "those movies have a much higher body count and much more screen time devoted to violence. It's because of the way they (the Cronenberg films) are shot that they seem so realistic."

The conversation has circled back to Sept. 11 reflections, in a way.

The violent scenes are "not a gratuitous part of the story," said Mr. Mortensen. "Life is that way. To not show it honestly is irresponsible."

In "Eastern Promises," Mr. Mortensen portrays Nikolai, a Russian-born chauffeur serving an oppressive Eastern European crime family working in London. Nikolai crosses paths with Anna (Naomi Watts), a midwife looking for information about a Russian Jane Doe who died while giving birth at her hospital.

The deeper Anna digs into the mystery girl's diary, the more she unknowingly rankles the unseemly criminal syndicate that Nikolai works for.

Mr. Mortensen said Nikolai is a character with secrets, which creates intrigue for the actor.

"I try to find out what's not written in the script," he said. "There must be reasons for the character's behavior."

For Mr. Mortensen, research involved traveling for weeks in Russia, reading Russian books and poetry and listening to Russian music.

"That's the part of being an actor that I enjoy the most - the preparation," he said. "It's like going to the college of the world: languages, cultures, points of view. And getting paid for it. It's really a luxury."

Although Mr. Mortensen demurred on details, he noted that he arranged visits with "the kind of Russians that are more or less from that world where my character comes from."

Mr. Mortensen said he noticed that the criminal class spoke a unique Russian, peppered with slang, which he tried to incorporate into the film. The actor became fascinated by their tattoos, "this old school criminal symbology," which offered coded details about their underworld status.

Mr. Mortensen said he sent a copy of "The Mark of Cain," an Alix Lambert documentary about tattooing in Russian prisons, to Mr. Cronenberg and encouraged "Promises" writer Steven Knight to incorporate tattooing into the script. That element is now a major aspect of the finished film.

Nikolai is inked from head to toe, which is never more apparent than in a four-minute scene in which he is attacked in a steam room. The scene has generated advance buzz for its candid displays of Mr. Mortensen nude.

"I guess it helps when there's something that gets people's attention," Mr. Mortensen said. "Once they get in there (to see the movie), they're going to see a lot more. They're going to be highly entertained. It's exciting, it's entertaining. It's thought-provoking. At the end, you've gone on a heck of a ride and you want to know more. It's very layered. I'm very proud to be in the movie because it's a very good movie."

Up next for Mr. Mortensen is "Appaloosa," a buddy Western directed by and co-starring Ed Harris, who partnered with Mr. Mortensen on "A History of Violence." Shooting starts next month in New Mexico.