The movie "Digger": oil, theater, and a heavily made-up Tom Cruise
The film "Digger" by Alejandro González Iñárritu, winner of an Oscar and other awards, is currently playing in Ukrainian movie theaters. Honestly, the director’s name alone is enough to make you want to go see it.
However, we’ll also discuss why Tom Cruise’s portrayal of an oil tycoon is one of the best roles in his career – and why this movie is best experienced on the big screen.
As a reminder, Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu “woke up famous” in 2000, following the Cannes premiere of *Amores Perros*. Then came “21 Grams,” “Babel,” “Biutiful,” and other films. The director moved from Mexico City to Hollywood and directed “Birdman” and “The Revenant,” which finally earned Leonardo DiCaprio an Oscar. It seems that Tom Cruise might achieve the same.
Alejandro González Iñárritu / Photo by Kateryna Slipchenko
Between *The Revenant* and *Digger* – 11 years and a return to Mexico, marked by the film *Bardo*. González Iñárritu films slowly; there aren’t that many films in his filmography. Some are less successful, but there are no outright flops. Seeing his name in the credits guarantees the viewer an interesting and unexpected story, as well as a complex yet unwavering directorial vision. And good actors, of course.
This is also the case with “The Digger.” This time, he presents a dystopia and biting satire.
Still from the film “Digger” / Warner Bros. Pictures
What is “Digger” about, and why is it worth watching?
The main character – Digger Rockwell (Tom Cruise, who’s hard to recognize) – is a cynical and unaccountable oil tycoon who considers himself all-powerful. When a global catastrophe occurs due to his actions, he continues to replace reality with lies.
As is often the case in González Iñárritu’s films, cinematic reality is layered and exists on multiple levels. Here, the world is a cynical theater, and the theater is a cynical world.
Watch the Ukrainian trailer for the film "The Digger"
The director is interested not only in the story of the character or the global catastrophe itself, but also in its consequences for the future and how future generations will perceive the protagonist.
The director insists that in the world, narrative and interpretation dominate over facts, and even the end of the world can become a source of humor.
Still from the film “Digger” / Warner Bros. Pictures
"Digger" blends utterly ruthless satire, absurdity, the grotesque, and theatrical exaggeration. Yet this does not detract from its reflections on personal responsibility, post-truth, politics and politicians, power, and consumerism.
It blends genres – black comedy, dystopia, and post-apocalypse – with theatrical convention, all while remaining compelling.
Still from the film "The Digger" / Warner Bros. Pictures
And this persuasiveness is achieved, in particular, thanks to the superb ensemble cast. This includes John Goodman (“Barton Fink,” “The Big Lebowski”) as the U.S. president, who bears a resemblance to several of them at once. Although it is Digger, not him, who bears such a striking resemblance to Donald Trump that there’s almost no doubt about the director’s intended associations.
Tom Cruise, on the other hand, who looks nothing like himself (and for whom this is arguably one of the best roles of his career), plays not a specific person but a stereotype of a redneck billionaire. Cruise was heavily made up (the makeup took about six hours to apply), but it doesn’t hinder his emotional performance.
Still from the film “Digger” / Warner Bros. Pictures
Riz Ahmed (“Nightcrawler,” “The Sisters Brothers”) plays the scientist Ganesh. Sandra Hüller (“Rosa,” “Anatomy of a Fall”) plays Emma, Digger’s sister. Oscar and Cannes winner Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog,” “Bugonia”) is also in the film, but discussing his role would be a spoiler.
The entire complex mechanism created by González Iñárritu runs with clockwork precision. Together with the director, the audience pieces together the puzzle. It’s captivating. What’s more, what we see on screen is both funny and sad at the same time. For us, some scenes perfectly illustrate “intense anxiety,” which is more of an unexpected bonus than a directorial choice.
Still from the film “Digger” / Warner Bros. Pictures
And one last thing: González Iñárritu shot his film on film, so it’s highly recommended to watch it on the big screen to fully appreciate the scale of the director’s spectacular vision.