Filmmaker Justin Kurzel first came to the attention of global cinema audiences last year with his version of Macbeth, starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard.
The director was already well-known to film buffs in his native Australia for the critically acclaimed 2011 fact-based crime drama Snowtown, his feature-film debut, but a Palme d'Or nomination for his Shakespeare adaptation lunched him onto the international A-list.
With this in mind, it was perhaps strange that for his follow-up project he chose the seemingly lowbrow task of adapting the hugely successful Assassin's Creed video game series for the big screen.
Video-game adaptations do not have the best record with audiences or critics, but Kurzel says that the baggage of a genre more noted for its failures than successes did not weigh too heavily on him while making the movie.
“I haven’t seen any video-game adaptations, so I’ve never really approached that debate,” he says. “I never even went there considering that.
“I just approached this as a film and a fresh story, and the idea of free will versus control – which is the central theme of the film, and which is really fascinating and interesting.
“You can only approach it like any other film and create a narrative and interesting characters and start from there.”
Indeed, Kurzel admits that when he signed up for the project – which reunites him with both Fassbender, who is a producer as well as taking the starring role, and Cotillard – he was not at all familiar with the source material.
The Assassin's Creed games revolve around an eternal struggle between the Assassin's Brotherhood, who believe in free will, and the Templars, who wish to impose strict controls and order on humanity, using technologically advanced artefacts from a prehuman civilisation. To this end, both sides make use of a device known as Animus, which allows present-day test subjects to relive the genetically encoded memories of their ancestors.
"When Michael first talked to me about the idea, he didn't even mention that it was Assassin's Creed," says Kurzel. "He just said to me: 'What about this idea that you have a conscious relationship with the memories of your ancestors?'
“I thought that sounded amazing – this idea that you could suddenly understand why you hate certain foods or feel sad in a certain way could lead all the way back to your ancestors.
"Then he started describing Assassin's Creed, which at that point I must admit I had very little knowledge of. I haven't come from a games background. I want to be really honest about that. I haven't played Splinter Cell or these other games – but I was just really interested in this idea."
Far from this lack of familiarity with the games being a drawback, Kurzel says it helped as his movie has more in common with a historical drama than an all-guns-blazing video-game crossover.
“It was like doing a period film,” he says. “Well, it is a period film really – it’s the Spanish Inquisition period in history, so a lot of our research went into the detail of the architecture and clothing. That’s what people value so much about the game.”
The period setting may belong to the history books, but Kurzel notes that the themes of the film are timeless.
“It [the Spanish Inquisition] was a fascinating period in history in terms of the religious and social discord. There was a spirit about the age, with the fall of Alhambra and the clash of cultures and ideologies.
“That manifests itself also in the film, with the clash between the Templars, with their dedication to order and rules, and the Assassins, who are much more like travellers and open to free will. Those competing ideas are universal, they’re not specific to any period in history, or any game or film.”
Kurzel seems to be walking a fine line. By taking on a video-game adaptation, he risks alienating non-gamers, given the largely undistinguished history of the genre. At the same time, with no personal connection to the games and new characters, he risks the wrath of loyal fans of the franchise
“We weren’t necessarily conscious when we made it of how to make it for the fans, but of course, we have respect for the fans and what they love about the game,” he says. “Our big question, though, was how do we make a decent piece of cinema and get a whole new group of people interested in the story? It’s never been a debate about games but about cinema.”
• Assassin’s Creed is in cinemas from Thursday, December 29
cnewbould@thenational.ae
The specs: 2017 Lotus Evora Sport 410
Price, base / as tested Dh395,000 / Dh420,000
Engine 3.5L V6
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 410hp @ 7,000rpm
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Fuel economy, combined 9.7L / 100km
The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
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Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
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For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
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THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick
Hometown: Cologne, Germany
Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)
Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes
Favourite hobby: Football
Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Racecard
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Zakat definitions
Zakat: an Arabic word meaning ‘to cleanse’ or ‘purification’.
Nisab: the minimum amount that a Muslim must have before being obliged to pay zakat. Traditionally, the nisab threshold was 87.48 grams of gold, or 612.36 grams of silver. The monetary value of the nisab therefore varies by current prices and currencies.
Zakat Al Mal: the ‘cleansing’ of wealth, as one of the five pillars of Islam; a spiritual duty for all Muslims meeting the ‘nisab’ wealth criteria in a lunar year, to pay 2.5 per cent of their wealth in alms to the deserving and needy.
Zakat Al Fitr: a donation to charity given during Ramadan, before Eid Al Fitr, in the form of food. Every adult Muslim who possesses food in excess of the needs of themselves and their family must pay two qadahs (an old measure just over 2 kilograms) of flour, wheat, barley or rice from each person in a household, as a minimum.
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(Verve Decca Crossover)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
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Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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