On December 8, 1980, the day John Lennon was shot, he and Yoko Ono gave an interview to a San Francisco radio team from their home at the Dakota Apartments in New York. They were promoting their new album “Double Fantasy,” but the two-hour conversation covered many topics. Despite being warned against questions about the Beatles, Lennon and Ono were surprisingly open. On that day, Annie Leibovitz also captured the famous portrait of a naked Lennon embracing Ono.
The interview is as revealing as the photo. Both, especially Lennon, spoke freely about love, their relationship, creativity, life after the Beatles, raising their young son, writing songs in bed, and more. At the age of 40, Lennon sounded like someone who had found clarity. “I feel as if nothing happened before today,” Lennon expressed.
In “John Lennon: The Last Interview,” Steven Soderbergh transforms these surviving tapes into a documentary that aims to demystify Lennon and Ono, much like “Get Back” did for the Beatles. The film premiered Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival.
Soderbergh commented on the experience, stating, “I was deeply moved by their generosity of spirit throughout the conversation. It was like the world happened in one day, in that apartment.” Creating the film posed challenges. Soderbergh wanted to keep the audio intact. He managed to illustrate much of the film, but a gap remained when the conversation turned philosophical.
“I worked on everything I could resolve until it was inevitable: ‘OK, but seriously, what are we going to do?’ We began trying things, and we ran out of time and money. That’s when Meta came in,” said Soderbergh. He accepted an offer to use Meta’s AI software to create surreal visuals for these sections, making up about 10% of the film. When the news came out earlier this year, it sparked discussions. Was a leading American filmmaker using AI? And in a film about a Beatle?
The AI segments, heavily criticized at Cannes, are fairly ordinary and do not differ much from special effects. There are no digitally altered images of Lennon. However, Soderbergh placed himself at the forefront of a broader debate on AI’s role in filmmaking. For him, a director known for iPhone films, this is a conversation he welcomes.
Exploring AI Use in Film
AP: Given the current debate on AI in cinema, you have been quite open about its use here. Why?
Soderbergh: Transparency is crucial outside creative contexts. We aren’t aware of how extensive the use is, and it’s used to manipulate us. We only find out accidentally or from whistleblowers. I’m my own whistleblower: “This is what I’m doing.”
AP: Were you expecting such a strong reaction?
Soderbergh: I anticipated it. I take it seriously and understand why people have emotional responses. I believe I owe the audience the best version of my art and full transparency on how I create it. Accepting Meta’s offer meant knowing criticism was part of the deal.
Potential Impact of AI in Filmmaking
AP: Some fear AI will dismantle the film industry. Yet you have a different view.
Soderbergh: Key jobs in filmmaking can’t be done by AI and won’t be. As it becomes possible to create technically perfect works, imperfection gains value and interest. We haven’t seen anyone with creative credibility fully embrace AI yet, and we need to see the reaction. How do you know where the line is until it’s crossed? I don’t believe I’m crossing it. Some might disagree. I don’t know my line yet. I’m waiting to see.
AP: What prompts did you give the program for animations?
Soderbergh: Light circles from nowhere, things like that. A black rose evolving into something like Busby Berkeley, then a red rose. I wasn’t very articulate with the team. Describing the visuals I wanted was hard. The upside of this tech was quickly seeing something I could react to.
Setting Limits for AI Use
AP: Did your experience develop a framework for limiting AI use?
Soderbergh: It’s essential to determine necessity. Is this the only way to achieve what I envision? Is it truly the best way? That’s the real question. Many will use AI, not surpassing those challenges.
AP: There’s an ethical and aesthetic debate. Yet, this is a raw human dialogue.
Soderbergh: I needed a visual way to follow them, or I wasn’t doing my job. Predicting how long it will take to achieve balance with this tech is hard. We’ll get there. Within the film industry, each department will have a unique relationship with AI. I will interact with AI differently from writers, actors, costume designers, production designers, or sound effects teams. Each creative person will be affected differently. The urge to have a simple template for handling AI is flawed. I don’t think a one-size-fits-all solution exists.
AP: Either way, the conversation in the film is deeply inspiring.
Soderbergh: Especially Lennon’s desire to dispel the rock star myth at a time when no one considered it. That’s inspiring. I hope young viewers learn: he spoke truth from start to finish, constructively. He held strong opinions, was reflective, and served the goal of improving humanity on the planet.
This story was translated from English by an AP editor with the help of generative AI.