Heading into UK cinemas at the end of this week isHigh-Rise, the new film from director Ben Wheatley.

Wheatley, of course, has previously directed projects as diverse asSightseers,Doctor WhoandKill List.

How did the connection to both JG Ballards book and producer Jeremy Thomas come about?

Well, the starting point is always: lets do something different to the last film.

At least thats we make a run at do, but in a sense everything is always the same.

Thats the trial of these things.

In the case ofHigh-Rise, I actually pursued the book myself.

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Yeah.

So it was really quick.

I think from making an enquiry to actually having a meeting with Jeremy was about three days.

Did you know him before that meeting?

(laughs) In fact, his office is full of props.

Its basically a treasure trove of post-war cinema!

Hadnt he tried to get the film made in the late 70s with Nic Roeg directing?

I know that sounds crazy, but there is a method to that madness.

It certainly doesnt look like a film thats been made by committee!

(laughs)

This has more sets and SFX work than your previous films.

Did you shoot your episodes ofDoctor WhobeforeHigh-Rise?

Yeah,Doctor Whowas a bit of a tactical move for me.

This is a very different bang out of adaptation of Ballards work than David Cronenbergs adaptation ofCrash.

Thats a very brilliant, but incredibly cold film.

This feels a lot bawdier as an adaptation.

Well, I think the books very funny.

And we wanted to make an adaptation of the book that was close to the book!

Did placing the film in the period it was written the mid-1970s factor into that thinking?

because of our ages.

In particular all the Marie Antoinette-key in shenanigans up in the penthouse.

In film you just have far less time and space to get across information, full stop.

But thats even truer when it comes to character and setting.

Reading a book is very different to watching a movie as the reader controls the pacing to an extent.

Lets talk a little bit about the cast.

She actually auditioned for the role, which I was really surprised about.

Well, I think correctly or not shes perceived as being primarily a TV actress.

Yeah, thats probably right.

I thought she was great inAshes To Ashesand shes fantastic in this.

Thankfully they all loved it and really got their teeth into it.

The structure of this film is really interesting too.

(laughs) Oh, Jesus!

Was that at that screening with Jan Harlan [Stanley Kubricks producer and brother-in law]?

That was fucking terrifying!

[laughs]

But actuallyThe Shinings a good example of what were talking about here.

Even though its a more contained narrative, its not really a traditional narrative.

InHigh-Riseyou have a similar-ish situation in that the middle of the film is basically …and things got worse.

You do this editorially by compressing an enormous amount of time.

Was that filleted down in the edit?

And how long was your first cut?

I dont think the first cut was massively long.

SinceA Field In Englandwhat Ive tended to do is an assembly cut, where I cut during the shoot.

The assembly ofHigh-Risewas probably around two and a half hours.

But the actual proper cut that I do with Amy was always around 1 hour 56 minutes or something.

Does the assembly help shape the real cut that you two put together?

Basically, what we do is throw the assembly away and start again.

That assembly is really more for my benefit than anything else.

Its so I know that Ive shot enough coverage for the scenes and that the performances are consistent.

How hard was tracking the performances of such a large cast across the edit?

Unless an actors really gone wrong its usually not an issue.

The schedule on that was like confetti in the air!

Youd be shooting a scene for episode 7 alongside a scene for episode 1.

So I was really worried that the continuity of the performances would be fucked, but it was fine.

Monitoring that is just part of the actors of skillset.

I think more of an issue was having different styles of acting and performance in the same film.

And I dont mean in the same scene.

Thats relatively easy to deal with.

Ben Wheatley, thank you very much.